Emergency Landing: Rubio's Flight Interrupted by Plane Malfunction

A U.S. Air Force plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio was forced to return to Washington due to a mechanical issue. Secretary Rubio plans to continue his trip to Germany and the Middle East using a different plane, despite unclear timing for a meeting with other leaders.

A mechanical problem forced a U.S. Air Force plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio back to Washington, according to Tammy Bruce, a State Department spokesperson.

Secretary Rubio will resume his travels to Germany and the Middle East on another aircraft, although it remains uncertain if he can attend a meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the Munich Security Conference on Friday morning.

The C-32 plane, a modified Boeing 757, had to return due to a cockpit windshield crack. The aircraft safely landed at Joint Base Andrews by 10 p.m., approximately three hours after taking off.

(With inputs from agencies.)