President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump safely transferred to a support helicopter after a hydraulics issue forced Marine One to land at a local airfield en route to Stansted Airport, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the pilots landed at a local airfield before reaching Stansted Airport,” Leavitt told reporters. “The president and first lady safely boarded the support helicopter.”
The scheduled 20-minute flight from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Chequers country residence was extended to nearly 40 minutes due to the precautionary measure.
The helicopter incident occurred during an unusual second state visit to the United Kingdom, where Trump met with King Charles III and Queen Camilla before holding high-level discussions focused on a major bilateral investment package. On Thursday, Starmer hailed a £250 billion mutual investment initiative between the UK and the United States as the “natural partnership in the world.”
Trump began the day at Windsor Castle with King Charles III before traveling by helicopter to Chequers for meetings with Starmer. Private talks between the leaders are believed to have addressed Ukraine, the Gaza war, the environment, and free speech. The two leaders then joined business executives for a reception highlighting economic cooperation.
Starmer described the agreement as a “tech-prosperity deal.” Trump said it would generate “billions of dollars of opportunities” and improve U.S. access to the UK’s advanced aerospace supply chain.
“We’re taking the next logical step with a historic agreement on science and technology partnerships,” Trump said, citing collaboration in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, fusion, 6G, and civil nuclear energy. He praised industry leaders including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Blackstone’s Steve Schwarzman, noting significant private sector momentum.
The president highlighted a $136 billion commitment from Blackstone and a deal between U.S.-based X Energy and British firm Centrica to deploy modular nuclear reactors across the UK. The project is expected to generate more than $50 billion in economic value, create up to 2,500 jobs, and power 1.5 million homes.
Trump returned to the White House on Friday following the overseas trip.
The agreements underscore deepening U.S.-UK ties in critical technologies and energy infrastructure amid global challenges.
