A U.S. Air Force plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Munich was forced to return to Washington on Thursday after experiencing a mechanical issue, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
Bruce stated that Rubio still intends to continue his trip to Germany and the Middle East using a different aircraft.
The issue arose about 90 minutes into the flight when a crack was discovered in the cockpit windshield of the C-32 aircraft, a modified Boeing 757, a U.S. official said. The plane, which had taken off around 7 p.m., turned back and landed safely at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C., around 10 p.m.
It remains uncertain whether Rubio will be able to attend a scheduled meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday morning. The meeting was planned to take place on the sidelines of the annual Munich Security Conference.
Also read: Charges Dropped, But Adams Faces Tough Reelection Battle
