Donald Trump.Photo: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
A plane with former presidentDonald Trumpwas reportedly forced to make an emergency landing on Saturday night at a New Orleans airport, approximately 20 to 30 minutes after takeoff.
After a speech he delivered at a Republican National Committee-hosted donor retreat, Trump boarded the private plane in New Orleans bound for Florida, before it suffered partial engine failure mid-air, according toPolitico, who spoke to “two people familiar with the matter.”
The outlet reports that one of the engines of the aircraft failed, prompting the pilot to turn around and land at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, one of the sources said.
A spokesperson for the airport tells PEOPLE that it “is aware of an aircraft that diverted to MSY [Louis Armstrong Airport] on Saturday, March 5 at approximately 10:30 p.m. after experiencing mechanical issues,” adding that the plane “landed safely without any issues.” They did not provide any additional details.
ThePostalso reported that Trump was accompanied on board with Secret Service agents, other support staffers and advisers, according to people familiar with the incident.
Audio of the communications between the pilot and the air traffic control tower, perPolitico, revealed that the landing was classified as “emergency in nature,” according to the outlet’s source, who it said had been briefed on the recording. “However, another person familiar with the recording disputed that the word ‘emergency’ was used,“Politicoreported.
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“I appreciate it,” the pilot reportedly replied.
The plane was en route to Palm Beach, near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property.
All three news sources reported that after Trump landed back in New Orleans, the RNC worked to get him another loaner private jet from a different donor.
He eventually made it to Palm Beach around 3 a.m. Sunday morning, according toPolitico.
Spokespeople for Trump did not respond to a request for comment.
source: people.com
