Plane Carrying War Secretary Pete Hegseth Makes Emergency Landing in U.K. After Windshield Crack
The aircraft transporting U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth made an emergency landing in the United Kingdom on Wednesday following a mid-air equipment failure, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed.
Hegseth was returning to Washington from Brussels, where he had attended a high-level NATO defense ministers meeting, when the aircraft was forced to divert. According to Parnell, the emergency landing was triggered by a cracked windshield — a serious but manageable in-flight issue that prompted adherence to standard aviation protocols.
“On the way back to the United States from NATO’s Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseth’s plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield,” Parnell posted on X. “The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe.”
Hegseth, 44, responded shortly after with his own reassuring update: “All good. Thank God. Continue mission!”
The incident unfolded over the Atlantic shortly after takeoff from Belgium. Freelance journalist Andrew Leyden, who first flagged the emergency, noted that Hegseth’s aircraft declared a “7700” — the international transponder code for in-flight emergencies — and diverted back toward the U.K. after reaching open waters.
“Secretary Hegseth’s SAM 153 aircraft has landed at RAF Mildenhall,” Leyden later reported, referencing the Royal Air Force station located in Suffolk, England. “A C-17 backup aircraft that accompanied him to Belgium also diverted to Mildenhall and will likely pick him up and bring him back to the USA.”
Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer and combat veteran, has served as Trump’s Secretary of War since early 2024. His leadership at the Pentagon has been defined by a hawkish stance on border security, rearmament, and the expanded use of military power to combat terrorism and transnational crime.
Wednesday’s emergency incident did not delay his schedule beyond the standard protocol for aircraft transfers. A Defense Department source said Hegseth is expected to return to Washington by Thursday morning aboard the backup C-17.
The incident is the second time this year that a U.S. cabinet member’s flight has been disrupted by mechanical or structural issues, prompting renewed discussion about aging aircraft used for senior officials and potential procurement upgrades.