Key facts
- An emergency slide deployed on President Donald Trump's Air Force One, a gift from Qatar.
- The slide deployed shortly before Trump was scheduled to depart for Dallas, Texas.
- President Trump assured reporters the aircraft was safe to fly.
- The slide was removed before Trump boarded the plane.
U.S. President Donald Trump departed Washington for Texas on Wednesday aboard the Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar, after an emergency slide was accidentally deployed and subsequently removed. The incident briefly delayed Trump's departure for the first-ever Republican midterm convention.
Military personnel accidentally triggered the slide, according to a person briefed on the matter who spoke to Reuters. The slide was activated shortly before Trump was due to board the Boeing 747-8.
Trump, who started flying aboard the jumbo jet on July 1, assured reporters that the plane was safe to fly, stating, "Yeah, I am, or I wouldn't be on it." He suggested the deployment was part of a check to ensure everything worked perfectly.
The emergency slide was seen being taken away. The Boeing 747-8 typically has 12 emergency inflatable evacuation slides designed to allow passengers to reach the ground safely from a height of about 30 feet (9 meters).
Trump landed at Joint Base Andrews aboard Marine One at 2:02 p.m. ET and remained on the helicopter for over 20 minutes as the situation unfolded. The older Air Force One pulled up behind the new aircraft, and crews were informed it would serve as a backup. At 2:24 p.m., Trump boarded the new jet.
Trump had previously stated that the Qatari-gifted jet would be taken out of service in October for unspecified security upgrades that would take about 60 days.