The helicopter carrying US President Donald Trump was forced to divert to Luton Airport as he finished his state visit to the UK.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said “due to a minor hydraulic issue”, the aircraft landed at a “local airfield” before later reaching Stansted around 20 minutes behind schedule.
She said the decision was taken “out of an abundance of caution” adding that the president and first lady “safely boarded the support helicopter”.
Emergency services were spotted on the tarmac at Luton following the landing.
Separate images show both of Trump’s helicopters, known as Marine One and Marine Two, just off Luton’s runway.
Marine One and Marine Two are specially adapted aircraft known as “white tops” because of their livery.
They are fitted with missile defence and radar jamming systems as well as electronics designed to withstand the electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear blast.
As a security measure, Marine One often flies in a group of identical helicopters acting as decoys.
It is also usually accompanied by two or three Osprey MV-22s – tilt-rotor aircraft referred to as “green tops” that combine the vertical landing ability of a helicopter with the flying speed and efficiency of an aeroplane.
The Ospreys carry support staff, special forces and secret service agents, who are tasked with dealing with any mid-flight emergency.
Trump had been using the Marine One helicopter to travel between different locations on his unprecedented second state visit to the UK.
He arrived at Stansted late on Tuesday night and was flown to Winfield House in central London – the official residence of the US ambassador to the UK.
The following day, President Trump and his wife flew to Windsor Castle where they met the King and Queen.
On Thursday, Trump was taken on Marine One from Windsor to Chequers for diplomatic talks with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
During a joint news conference at Chequers, the two leaders addressed a range of issues, including Ukraine, Gaza and illegal migration – a subject which Trump suggested Britain could solve by calling in the military.
Trump said he had “a disagreement with the prime minister” on the subject of Palestinian statehood.
Starmer plans to recognise Palestinian statehood ahead of next week’s United Nations general assembly in New York.
By BBC News
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