A plane carrying Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin and other top DHS officials was forced to make an emergency landing Wednesday afternoon after an engine failure on the Coast Guard-operated aircraft.
An independent newsfeed that covers the Washington, D.C., area posted shortly before 2:00 PM that a Coast Guard C-37A (call sign C101) lost its right engine while in flight and was forced to make the emergency landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, located just across the border from D.C., in Virginia.
All 14 souls aboard the aircraft were reported to be safe.
A Coast Guard aircraft has landed safely at DCA after declaring an emergency in the air
— The DC MD VA Live (@TheDMVLive) September 2, 2026
C101 had lost its right engine mid-flight and diverted to Reagan Airport for an immediate landing. All 14 members on board have landed safely.
Audio/Visual via https://t.co/E738f3746s pic.twitter.com/PmrmDwZRTa
A short time later, Mullin himself posted on X and confirmed that he was aboard the C-37A. He praised the pilots, saying there had been no panic aboard the plane, just pure professionalism as the pilots guided the aircraft safely to the ground.
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. https://t.co/ckhCkJbsRX
— Secretary Markwayne Mullin (@SecMullinDHS) September 2, 2026
A voice recording of the scary incident confirmed the details of the landing.
"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.
This is a developing story. RedState will provide updates as events warrant.