Get you up to speed: Coast Guard plane carrying Markwayne Mullin makes emergency landing after engine failure
A Coast Guard jet carrying Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin made an emergency landing outside Washington, D.C., on Wednesday after one of its engines failed. The C-37A jet landed safely at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport with 14 people on board, according to statements from the pilot and the airport.
The C-37A jet, which faced engine failure during the emergency landing, is 22 years old and has been identified by the Department of Homeland Security as having significant avionics and communications obsolescence issues. The Coast Guard’s request for $50 million to replace the aircraft has faced scrutiny from lawmakers, particularly concerning its priority over updating older search-and-rescue planes.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised the Coast Guard pilots for their “straight professionalism” during the emergency landing, stating they made the situation feel “routine.” Following the incident, concerns regarding the age and safety of the C-37A have been raised, with DHS previously seeking $50 million to replace the aircraft while facing scrutiny over prioritising this request against other pressing upgrades for older Coast Guard planes.
What remains unclear — It is not specified what immediate actions, if any, DHS will take regarding the aging aircraft following the emergency landing.
Coast Guard plane carrying Markwayne Mullin makes emergency landing due to engine failure
Washington — A Coast Guard jet carrying Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and other top DHS officials made an emergency landing Wednesday afternoon outside Washington, D.C., after one of its engines failed.
The pilot of the plane, a C-37A, reported the loss of an engine to air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
“We just lost our right engine and would like to declare an emergency and immediate landing at DCA,” the pilot told the airport’s control tower, according to an audio recording of the communication. The pilot told controllers the plane had 14 people on board and 2.5 hours’ worth of fuel.
The C-37A is the military version of a Gulfstream V jet and is routinely used to carry senior Coast Guard and DHS officials, including the secretary. DHS oversees the Coast Guard.
Mullin confirmed the emergency landing in a post on X, writing that “The United States Coast Guard pilots made the single engine landing feel routine. No panic, just straight professionalism.”
“After we landed, the pilots told me that was a first for them! We could not have been in better hands,” he added.
The airport said in a statement that the plane “landed safely, was thoroughly checked by Airports Authority Fire and Rescue personnel then proceeded off the runway.”
WTX US News has reached out to the DHS for comment about the emergency landing. The Coast Guard referred WTX US News to DHS.
The department has raised concerns about the aging aircraft in the past. Last year, DHS said in a statement that the Coast Guard plane was “22 years old and faces significant avionics and communications obsolescence issues.”
The department’s fiscal year 2025 spending plan sought roughly $50 million to replace its aging Coast Guard executive jet used to transport senior officials. The request drew scrutiny from lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois, who questioned Coast Guard leadership about the proposed purchase during an appropriations hearing.
During a May 20 Senate hearing, then-Secretary Kristi Noem defended her request, saying the existing jet had been in service “beyond its usable hours.”
Days later, Democratic Reps. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and LaMonica McIver of New Jersey questioned DHS about why replacing its executive aircraft should take priority over updating older Coast Guard planes used in search-and-rescue missions.