Archive · 10 Sep 2026
Emergency Slide Delays Trump’s Departure on Qatari-Gifted Air Force One
An emergency slide unexpectedly came out of the airplane being used as Air Force One.
This happened while Donald Trump was preparing to fly from Maryland to Texas.
Trump waited on a helicopter while workers checked the airplane.
The slide was on the side opposite the usual boarding door.
A backup presidential airplane was moved nearby during the inspection.
Trump said the workers wanted to make sure everything worked correctly.
He said he believed the airplane was safe because he boarded it.
The inspection delayed the departure for a short time.
An emergency slide deployed from the right side of the Qatari-gifted Boeing 747 at Joint Base Andrews.
The deployment briefly delayed Donald Trump’s departure for a Republican convention in Dallas.
Trump remained aboard Marine One for more than 20 minutes while crews inspected the aircraft.
Trump said the slide was being checked to ensure that it worked properly and said the plane was safe to fly.
The slide was removed, and Trump later boarded the aircraft for the flight to Texas.
- Who
- U.S. President Donald Trump and aircraft crews were involved.
- What
- An emergency slide deployed, prompting an inspection before Trump boarded the aircraft.
- When
- Wednesday, September 9; the slide deployed at about 2:20 p.m., according to a White House pool report.
- Where
- Joint Base Andrews, before the flight to Dallas, Texas.
- Why
- Crews inspected the slide to ensure that the aircraft was functioning properly and safe to fly.
Safety Concern
Routine Inspection
Meaning of the slide deployment
Safety Concern
The unexpected deployment created enough concern to delay boarding and prompt an aircraft inspection.
Routine Inspection
Trump characterized the event as a check to ensure that the emergency slide and aircraft were functioning properly.
Confidence in the aircraft
Safety Concern
The incident and the temporary positioning of a backup presidential aircraft raised questions about whether the jet was ready to fly.
Routine Inspection
Trump said he was confident the plane was safe, adding that he would not have boarded it otherwise.
- Aircraft
- A Qatari-gifted Boeing 747 being used as Air Force One
- Incident
- An emergency slide deployed from the aircraft’s right side
- Trump’s arrival
- He arrived aboard Marine One at about 2:02 p.m. ET
- Reported deployment time
- About 2:20 p.m., according to a White House pool report
- Boarding time
- Trump stepped off Marine One at about 2:24 p.m. and later boarded the aircraft
- Destination
- Dallas, Texas, for the first-ever Republican midterm convention
- Backup aircraft
- The older light-blue presidential aircraft was moved behind the newer jet during the inspection
