A U.S. Air Force Boeing C-32A carrying Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made an emergency landing at RAF Mildenhall, England, on October 15, 2025, after a cockpit windshield cracked mid-flight. The aircraft was returning to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, from a NATO Defense Ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
Emergency Declared Over the Atlantic
Flight tracking data showed that while flying south of Ireland over the Atlantic, the crew declared a 7700 emergency code. They quickly descended from 35,000 to 10,000 feet as a precaution against possible cabin depressurization. The aircraft, tail number 98-0002, landed safely at RAF Mildenhall around 7:10 p.m. local time.
Pentagon Confirms Safe Landing
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed that all passengers, including Hegseth, were safe. He said the diversion was part of standard safety procedures. Hegseth later posted on X, thanking the crew for their professionalism and assuring that the situation was fully under control.
Press Restrictions Noted on Flight
No journalists were on board, reportedly due to new Pentagon travel restrictions on press coverage. The C-32A, a military version of the Boeing 757, is used by top U.S. officials and often serves as Air Force Two for vice-presidential and senior defense travel.
Similar Incident Earlier in 2025
The Pentagon has not yet confirmed the exact cause of the windshield crack. However, a similar issue occurred in February 2025 when another C-32A carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio was forced to return to Washington after a cockpit window cracked mid-air.
Air Force Investigates Windshield Damage
After the diversion, Hegseth continued his journey to the U.S. aboard a C-17 Globemaster III. The Air Force has started inspecting the damaged windshield to determine whether material fatigue or pressurization failure was responsible. The incident has once again raised safety concerns about the aging C-32A fleet, which has been operational since the late 1990s.
