President Trump and First Lady Forced to Make an Emergency Landing in UK
Marine One, the helicopter carrying President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, was forced to make an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom on September 18 after encountering a hydraulic issue during flight.
The incident occurred at the end of the Trumps’ state visit with the British royal family. They were flying a short leg from the prime minister’s Chequers estate to Stansted Airport, where Air Force One was waiting to return them to Washington. Although the route was meant to take about 20 minutes, the trip lasted nearly twice as long due to the diversion.
According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Marine One’s pilots made the decision “out of an abundance of caution” to land at a nearby airfield rather than continue directly to Stansted. The helicopter touched down safely, and the president and first lady quickly transferred to a support helicopter arranged to complete the journey.
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“The president and first lady safely boarded the support helicopter,” Leavitt told the White House press pool, noting that the precautionary landing was taken to ensure their safety.
Despite the delay, the couple arrived at Stansted and boarded Air Force One without further incident. Their return to the United States went ahead as planned, though behind schedule.
The unplanned landing briefly disrupted the otherwise carefully managed itinerary of the state visit. The Trumps had concluded a series of ceremonial and diplomatic engagements with the British royal family and government officials, after which they were scheduled to depart directly from Stansted.
While the incident extended their travel time, officials emphasized that neither the president nor the first lady was ever in danger. The hydraulic problem was described as minor, and the safe execution of the precautionary landing reflected established safety protocols for Marine One operations.
By the time Air Force One departed for Washington, the Trumps had completed the transition from helicopter to aircraft smoothly, closing their visit to Britain with only a modest delay.
