Plane carrying US Defense Secretary Hegseth makes unscheduled landing due to windshield crack

A plane carrying U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft's windshield, the Pentagon said, adding the Pentagon chief was safe.

"The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a post on X.

Hegseth was returning from a brief trip to Brussels.


This is not the first time U.S. military aircraft carrying senior officials have suffered mechanical issues.

Earlier this year, a U.S. Air Force plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Munich was forced to return to Washington after experiencing a mechanical problem.