US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's Plane Makes Emergency Landing in the UK
A crack in the aircraft windshield prompted an unscheduled landing for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's plane during a return flight from a NATO meeting in Belgium. The Pentagon confirmed the incident, stating that the plane followed standard procedures and that all passengers, including Secretary Hegseth, were safe. The incident occurred while the plane was en route to the US, with the aircraft beginning to lose altitude off the southwest coast of Ireland and then heading back east to a lower altitude of 10,000 feet, according to FlightRadar24. During this time, the plane broadcast a 7700 squawk code, indicating a general emergency onboard.
This incident comes on the heels of a similar event in February, when a government plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio had to turn back due to a crack in the cockpit window. The defence ministers had been meeting in Belgium to discuss security in Ukraine, highlighting the importance of aircraft safety in high-stakes diplomatic and military contexts.
