U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth experienced a frightening incident in the air while returning to the United States from Brussels on a government aircraft.
About an hour after takeoff, the flight reported a technical issue and was forced to return to Britain.
The plane suddenly dropped about 3 kilometers in altitude, indicating a problem with the cabin pressure.
Eventually, the aircraft diverted to the Mildenhall Air Base, located north of London.
According to reports, a crack appeared in the front windshield of the plane.
“The aircraft landed following standard procedures, and all passengers, including Secretary Hegseth, are safe,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a post on Twitter.
This is not the first time a military plane carrying senior U.S. officials has encountered mechanical problems.
Earlier this year, the aircraft carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio was forced to return to Washington due to a mechanical issue.
