Plane carrying Trump made emergency landing in New Orleans after weekend speech

NEW ORLEANS — A plane carrying former President Donald Trump suffered engine failure late Saturday over the Gulf of Mexico, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in New Orleans, according to reports.

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Trump gave a speech at a Republican National Committee donor event at the Four Seasons Hotel in New Orleans on Saturday and then left in a private plane from New Orleans Lakefront Airport, according to Politico, which cited two sources familiar with the incident.

The flight had traveled approximately 75 miles and reached an altitude of 28,000 feet before turning around and returning to New Orleans, The Washington Post reported, citing tracking data from ADS-B Exchange. One engine had failed, according to Politico.

The Dassault Falcon 900 aircraft made an unscheduled landing at Louis Armstrong International Airport about 11 p.m. EST, the Post reported.

The plane was en route to Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump resides at his Mar-a-Lago estate, the Sun-Sentinel reported. The plane carried the former president and some of his advisers, Secret Service agents and other support staffers, according to the newspaper.

A Trump spokesperson confirmed there was an emergency landing but declined to comment further, according to The Associated Press.

The plane belonged to a donor who loaned it to Trump for the evening, the Post reported. The aircraft’s tail number was linked to a Utah-based company that is the trustee for more than 1,400 planes, according to the newspaper.

The donor’s identity could not be immediately verified, according to the Post.

Trump’s advisers secured another donor’s plane, which met him in New Orleans, the Post reported. According to the newspaper, the plane belonged to Craig Estey, a Republican donor and founder of Nevada Restaurant Services.

Trump landed in South Florida at around 3 a.m. EST Sunday, Politico reported.

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