Air Force One with Trump aboard returns to U.S. over electrical issue
by Darryl Coote · UPIJan. 21 (UPI) -- Air Force One with President Donald Trump on board was forced to return to Maryland's Joint Base Andrews late Tuesday due to an electrical issue with the aircraft, officials said.
Trump had boarded Air Force One at 9:34 p.m. EDT Tuesday, with wheels up shortly afterward. The plane was en route to Zurich Airport as the president is scheduled to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, when it was forced to return.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in a statement that after takeoff, the crew identified "a minor electrical issue" and that "out of an abundance of caution," the plane was returning to Joint Base Andrews where the president would board a replacement aircraft before continuing on to his destination.
Air Force One landed at Joint Base Andrews at 11:07 p.m., according to a statement from the White House. Two replacement planes were on the tarmac, a second pool note stated.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Leavitt, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller and several others were aboard Air Force One with Trump.
Two planes enjoy the Air Force One moniker, both customized Boeing 747-220B series aircraft that were delivered to the U.S. government in 1990.
In May, Trump accepted a $400 million luxury Boeing 747-8 jet to be used as Air Force One to replace one of the decades-old planes.