Marine One was forced to make an emergency landing in the United Kingdom on Thursday while carrying President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, White House officials confirmed.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the helicopter diverted to a local airfield due to a hydraulic malfunction during the short flight from Chequers, the prime minister’s country residence, to Stansted Airport.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the pilots landed at a local airfield before reaching Stansted Airport,” Leavitt said. “The president and first lady safely boarded the support helicopter.”
The issue prolonged the trip, which was originally scheduled to last 20 minutes but stretched to nearly 40 minutes. Both the president and first lady continued on to their engagements without further incident.
The unscheduled landing occurred during Trump’s second state visit to the UK, part of a broader overseas trip.
The Marine One episode follows several recent aviation-related events involving presidential travel.
Earlier this week, an air traffic controller admonished a Spirit Airlines pilot for flying within several miles of Air Force One as the president was en route to the UK.
According to audio published by LiveATC.net, Spirit Flight 1300 was descending into Boston Logan International Airport when the controller repeatedly ordered the pilot to adjust course.
“Pay attention. Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right,” the controller said. The instruction was repeated several times, growing more urgent. “Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right now. Spirit wings 1300, turn 20 degrees right immediately.”
The pilot eventually complied, responding: “20 degrees right, Spirit wings 1300.”
“Pay attention,” the controller told him again. “Air Force One is off your left wing by 8 miles. I’m sure you can see who it is.”
The controller added: “Keep an eye out for me, white and blue,” before continuing: “I gotta talk to you twice every time. Pay attention, get off the iPad.”
Airline pilots frequently use iPads for flight-related data, but the exchange drew notice online after it was reported by aviation account JonNYC.
Spirit Airlines said in a statement that the flight “followed procedures and Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructions while en route to Boston (BOS) and landed uneventfully at BOS. Safety is always our top priority.”
The Federal Aviation Administration also weighed in, stating it was “aware of social media posts about Air Force One and a Spirit Airlines flight in Boston airspace” and that “required separation was maintained between the aircraft.”
In a separate development, the U.S. Air Force said this week that there were six violations of restricted airspace over Bedminster, New Jersey, during the weekend while Trump was at his residence there.
All of the incursions involved small general aviation aircraft. One of them required a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) fighter jet intercept on Saturday after the use of flares to attract the pilot’s attention.
“The flares may have been visible to the public but were used with the highest regard for the safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground,” the Air Force said in a statement.
Four additional breaches occurred on Sunday, though none required military intercepts.
Violations of Temporary Flight Restrictions, or TFRs, over presidential locations have become more frequent in recent months. Military officials have warned that such incidents risk national security and raise concerns about vulnerabilities surrounding the president’s travel.
The Marine One malfunction, Spirit Airlines near encounter with Air Force One, and repeated Bedminster TFR violations together highlight the complexities and risks of securing presidential movements in the air.
While Thursday’s emergency landing in the UK was attributed to a “minor hydraulic issue,” the rapid response underscored the contingency measures always in place for the president’s transport. The president and first lady completed their journey without harm, but officials emphasized that caution would remain the guiding principle for all future operations.
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