Marine One Makes Emergency Landing While President Trump And First Lady Melania Were On Board

Thank goodness President Trump and Melania are okay.

On Thursday, Marine One made an emergency landing in the U.K. while President Trump and Melania were on board.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that Marine One made an emergency landing due to a “hydraulic issue.”

People shared more details on the emergency landing:

Donald and Melania Trump’s helicopter experienced a “hydraulic issue” while flying near London on Thursday, Sept. 18.

According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Marine One — the helicopter carrying the president and first lady — made an unexpected landing in the final moments of their U.K. trip.

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Following their state visit with the British royal family, the Trumps were traveling a short distance in Marine One from Chequers to Stansted Airport, so that they could reunite with Air Force One and return to Washington, D.C.

“Due to a minor hydraulic issue, and out of an abundance of caution, the [Marine One] pilots landed at a local airfield before reaching Stansted airport,” Leavitt shared with the White House press pool, explaining why their departure was delayed.

How does Marine One even make the trip over the Atlantic?

Newsweek explained how the President’s helicopter makes the trip:

Marine One—the call sign for any U.S. Marine Corps helicopter carrying the president—does not cross the Atlantic under its own power. Instead, helicopters such as the VH-3D Sea King and VH-60N White Hawk are dismantled and flown aboard large U.S.

Air Force cargo planes, including the C-17 Globemaster III or the C-5 Galaxy, according to reporting by Business Insider. Once in-country, Marine Corps crews reassemble and test the helicopters to make sure the president has secure and reliable transportation abroad, with backup aircraft and maintenance teams deployed as well, according to AeroCorner.

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Marine One helicopters are built for short- to medium-range trips. The Sikorsky VH-3D Sea King, one of the models in the fleet, has a top speed of about 160 mph and can fly roughly 450 miles on a single tank of fuel, according to Military.com and Aero-Web.

That range is adequate for trips between airports, city centers, and residences such as the White House and Camp David, but it makes transatlantic or intercontinental flights impossible without heavy logistical support—one reason the helicopters must be transported by cargo plane when presidents travel overseas.