US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s plane made an emergency landing at a RAF base in the UK due to a crack in the aircraft’s windscreen. The Boeing C-32A, a military version of the Boeing 757, was flying to Washington, DC, from Brussels, where Hegseth was attending NATO meetings. The plane declared an emergency over the Atlantic Ocean.
The aircraft, which serves as a transport for senior US military and Government officials, was about 30 minutes into its flight when the issue was detected. The Boeing aircraft descended to 10,000 feet. The crew of the Boeing C-32A decided to divert the flight to RAF Mildenhall, a Royal Air Force station in Suffolk, England. Despite its RAF status, Mildenhall primarily supports United States Air Force (USAF) operations.
The aircraft was followed by a Boeing KC-135T Stratotanker – a US Air Force aerial refuelling and transport aircraft.
SAM153 landed on runway 10 at 7:08pm BST, according to Flightradar24.
Shortly after landing, Mr Hegseth posted on X: “All good. Thank God. Continue mission!”
Mr Hegseth was in Brussels for the NATO defence ministers’ meeting and the Ukraine Defence Contact Group session known as Ramstein. Upon arrival, he called on NATO allies to allocate more funds to purchase American-made weapons for Ukraine under the PURL program. Until now, Mr Hegseth had only joined Ramstein meetings online.
The flight tracking information also showed that the plane had squawked 7700, indicating a possible emergency. Squawk codes are four-digit codes that Air Traffic Control personnel assign to pilots, enabling them to communicate more effectively. Squawk 7700 can also indicate mechanical or technical problems or be used in case of medical issues.
Mr Parnell said on X: “On the way back to the United States from NATO’s Defence Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseth’s plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. The plane landed based on standard procedures, and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe”.
In February, a government plane carrying US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also forced to return to Washington due to a crack in the window of the cockpit. He was bound for Munich, Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference alongside Vice President JD Vance. Mr Rubio took off again on a smaller plane.
In Brussels, the War Secretary issued a stern warning to Russia, saying that the US and its allies would “impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression” if the war in Ukraine did not come to an end.
“If we must take this step, the U.S. War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do,” Mr Hegseth said. “Now is the time to end this tragic war, stop the needless bloodshed, and come to the peace table. This is not a war that started on President Trump’s watch, but it will end on his watch.”
