This was scary.
A U.S. Coast Guard jet carrying President Donald Trump’s Homeland Security secretary was forced to make an emergency landing Wednesday after one of the aircraft’s two engines failed during a flight to the Washington, D.C., area.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin was among 14 people aboard the government aircraft when its right engine suddenly stopped working.
The Coast Guard crew declared an emergency and requested an immediate landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
“We just lost our right engine,” the pilot told air traffic controllers while requesting priority clearance to land at DCA.
The pilot also reported that 14 people were aboard and that the aircraft had approximately two and a half hours of fuel remaining.
Despite the frightening circumstances, the Coast Guard pilots successfully landed the jet on its remaining engine. Everyone aboard made it safely to the ground.
The incident is now drawing renewed attention to concerns previously raised about the aging aircraft used to transport some of America’s highest-ranking government officials.
Homeland Security Secretary Praises Coast Guard Pilots
Mullin was returning from Georgia to the Washington area following a stop in New York City earlier in the week when the emergency unfolded.
After landing safely, President Trump’s Homeland Security secretary praised the Coast Guard pilots for their calm response under pressure.
Mullin said the Coast Guard pilots handled the one-engine landing so smoothly that it seemed like a routine procedure.
He credited the crew with maintaining complete professionalism throughout the emergency.
“No panic, just straight professionalism,” Mullin added.
Then came a surprising revelation.
According to Mullin, the pilots told him after reaching the ground that it was the first time they had experienced such an emergency landing under real-world conditions.
“We could not have been in better hands,” Mullin said.
The plane touched down safely at Reagan National Airport, with emergency crews standing by in case assistance was needed.
No injuries were reported.
Aging Coast Guard Jet Had Already Raised Concerns
The emergency is particularly noteworthy because the Coast Guard aircraft involved had already been the subject of concerns over its age.
The C-37A, a military adaptation of the Gulfstream V corporate jet, provides air transportation for high-ranking Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security personnel.
The aircraft has been in service for more than two decades.
The Department of Homeland Security previously raised concerns about the aging jet, including issues involving its avionics and communications equipment.
That history could bring fresh scrutiny to Washington’s debate over replacing aging government aircraft.
New Government Jets Sparked Debate In Washington
The condition of the government’s executive aircraft fleet became a political issue during former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s tenure.
DHS originally requested roughly $50 million to replace an older executive aircraft in the Coast Guard’s fleet.
The Coast Guard later moved toward acquiring two new Gulfstream G700 aircraft at a total cost approaching $200 million.
The price drew scrutiny on Capitol Hill, where Democratic lawmakers questioned the expense and highlighted some of the luxury amenities available aboard the newer aircraft.
But Wednesday’s emergency could add another dimension to that debate.
Supporters of modernizing the fleet can point to the incident as evidence of why senior administration officials should not be routinely transported aboard aircraft that government officials have already identified as aging or outdated.
Critics, meanwhile, are likely to continue asking whether expensive executive aircraft should take priority over other Coast Guard equipment and operational needs.
Emergency Landing Ends Without Injuries
Whatever political debate follows, the most important development Wednesday was that all 14 people aboard returned safely to the ground.
Losing an engine in flight is a serious mechanical emergency, but twin-engine aircraft are designed with procedures that allow trained crews to continue flying and land using the remaining engine.
The Coast Guard pilots followed those emergency procedures and brought the aircraft safely into Reagan National Airport.
Mullin’s reaction afterward made clear how impressed he was with their performance.
The Homeland Security secretary described a crew that remained calm, focused and professional when an ordinary government flight suddenly became an emergency.
The episode also puts a new spotlight on the aging aircraft used to transport senior federal officials as the Trump administration and Congress consider how taxpayer money should be spent modernizing the Coast Guard’s fleet.
For Mullin and the 13 others aboard, however, Wednesday’s flight ended with the outcome that mattered most: everyone walked away safely.