A chartered Boeing 737 carrying Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio) made an emergency landing in Milwaukee on Friday after a malfunction with the plane’s door seal, according to the campaign. The aircraft, which had just departed Milwaukee, returned to the airport for repairs before continuing its journey to Cincinnati.
The incident occurred shortly after the plane took off, prompting an emergency declaration by the pilot. The door seal issue was addressed, and the flight resumed to its original destination in Cincinnati, where Vance resides. The senator was in Milwaukee for a campaign event with the city’s police association.
This emergency landing follows a similar event last week when Donald Trump’s plane was diverted due to mechanical issues while en route to Montana.
The Boeing 737 involved in Vance’s flight is an older model, and Boeing has recently faced increased scrutiny over the safety of its 737 Max series following an incident with an Alaska Airlines flight earlier this year.
Onboard with Vance were his wife, dog, campaign staff, and a group of traveling reporters. Local news footage showed the plane taking off from Milwaukee about an hour after the emergency landing.
Vance’s visit to Milwaukee was part of a campaign effort in battleground states, aiming to regain momentum in the face of competition from the Harris-Walz campaign.
JD Vance's plane just departed for a second time from Milwaukee headed for Cincinnati after coming back "due to a possible issue with the aircraft," according to a airport spokesperson. Airport says plane taxied w/out incident "under it's own power" pic.twitter.com/bhPN6juTQ2
— Matt Smith (@mattsmith_news) August 16, 2024
