A plane carrying first lady Melania Trump was forced to return to Joint Base Andrews shortly after takeoff Wednesday due to a mechanical issue, according to multiple reports.
Trump was 10 minutes into her journey from Joint Base Andrews to Philadelphia on Wednesday morning when journalists on board the plane saw Secret Service officers head to the front of the aircraft, according to reporters with the White House press pool. A few moments later, reporters could smell something burning and saw “a thin haze of smoke,” according to the press pool.
Passengers were given wet towels to hold over their faces in case the burning smell became too strong.
“Within minutes, the smoke cleared and the smell slowly began to dissipate,” according to pool reporters.
The plane safely landed at Joint Base Andrews just after 9 a.m. No injuries were reported.
Details on the mechanical issue that forced the plane to return were not immediately available.
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