A Boeing 737 carrying US vice presidential candidate JD Vance was forced to return to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport on August 16 due to a reported door seal malfunction.
Airport authorities confirmed that the 737, operated by Eastern Air Express, returned to the airport at around 1:30 p.m. local time “due to a possible issue with the aircraft.”
“The aircraft landed normally and taxied under its own power,” the airport statement said. The 737 has since departed Milwaukee. Vance’s next campaign stop is Cincinnati, Ohio.
Reports on social media initially suggested that one of the plane’s doors had opened during the flight. It is unclear whether the problem was mechanical or maintenance-related.
Milwaukee Mitchell International referred further questions to Fort Worth-based Eastern Air Express, which did not respond to FlightGlobal’s questions about the incident.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There is no evidence that the company was involved in the plane’s malfunction.
The 737 – registered as N917XA – is known in the election campaign as “Trump Force Two” and was first chartered by former President Donald Trump’s campaign in July. The aircraft is more than 20 years old.
Last week, Trump’s private Boeing 757 was forced to make an emergency landing in Billings, Montana, due to a reported hydraulic leak.
