A U.S. Coast Guard plane carrying Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin made an emergency landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday afternoon after suffering an in-flight engine failure.
Emergency Landing After Engine Failure
The aircraft, identified as a C-37A jet (the military version of a Gulfstream V), was traveling from Georgia to the Washington, D.C., area when the mechanical issue occurred. According to audio recordings reviewed from air traffic control, the pilot radioed the control tower at Reagan National Airport around 1:30 p.m. to report the situation. We just lost our right engine and would like to declare an emergency and immediate landing at DCA,
the pilot told controllers, noting that there were 14 people on board and approximately two-and-a-half hours of fuel remaining.
The Gulfstream jet touched down safely around 1:35 p.m. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority officials stated that Fire and Rescue personnel thoroughly inspected the aircraft on the runway before it taxied away, and the incident caused no disruptions to other arriving or departing flights.
Secretary Mullin and Crew Praise Professionalism
Secretary Mullin, who was among the 14 passengers on board along with other top DHS officials, confirmed the safe landing in a statement published on social media. Praising the flight crew for handling the crisis smoothly, Mullin wrote, The United States Coast Guard pilots made the single-engine landing feel routine. No panic, just straight professionalism.
He added that the pilots noted the rare maneuver was a first for them in their flying careers, concluding that they could not have been in better hands.
The U.S. Coast Guard operates as part of the Department of Homeland Security and routinely utilizes long-range command and control aircraft to transport the agency’s leadership.
Scrutiny Over Aging Executive Aircraft
Wednesday’s emergency landing brings renewed attention to previous debates surrounding the age and safety of the Coast Guard’s executive transport fleet. The aircraft involved, designated as Coast Guard flight 101, has been in service since 2002.
Last year, Department of Homeland Security officials defended funding requests to replace the aging fleet, with Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stating that the current plane was over 20 years old, operating outside of its manufacturer service life, and handling usage hours well beyond typical corporate aircraft guidelines, calling the replacement a matter of safety.
The push to replace the executive jet has previously faced pushback on Capitol Hill. Democratic Representatives Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and LaMonica McIver of New Jersey questioned why acquiring a new executive transport should take precedence over modernizing older Coast Guard aircraft utilized by service members for search-and-rescue missions. Subsequent spending proposals sought roughly $50 million for a replacement before shifting toward a proposal involving newer Gulfstream models.
Following Wednesday’s incident, the Coast Guard declined immediate comment and referred inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security, which directed questions back to Mullin’s public statements.
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