U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends NATO's defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 15, 2025. The flight carrying U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth landed at a military airport in Britain on Wednesday evening after declaring an emergency, according to aircraft surveillance platform ADS-B Exchange. The flight, SAM 153, was flying over the North Atlantic before turning back to Britain. The flight was en route back to the United States from NATO's defense ministers' meeting in Belgium, said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang)
LONDON, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The flight carrying U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth landed at a military airport in Britain on Wednesday evening after declaring an emergency, according to aircraft surveillance platform ADS-B Exchange.
Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, has confirmed on social media platform X that the "unscheduled landing" was caused by "a crack in the aircraft windshield."
He added that "The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe."
The flight, SAM 153, was flying over the North Atlantic before turning back to Britain. The flight was en route back to the United States from NATO's defense ministers' meeting in Belgium, said Parnell. ■
