An emergency evacuation slide deployed from the new Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday afternoon as President Trump waited to board for a trip to Texas.

The unusual scene unfolded on the tarmac shortly after Marine One arrived beside the presidential jet.

President Trump remained safely inside the helicopter while crews handled the slide.

Video from the scene showed the large inflatable chute hanging from the right side of the aircraft:

The slide was visible on the side opposite the stairs normally used by the president.

ADVERTISEMENT

That distinction matters because the videos did not show President Trump aboard the plane or in danger. They showed him waiting nearby while military personnel dealt with the equipment.

The White House Pool archive recorded the timeline from Joint Base Andrews in real time.

At 2:19 p.m., the door of Marine One had not opened. The older blue-and-white Air Force One moved out of its hangar and into position a few hundred yards behind the new aircraft, then deployed its front and rear boarding stairs.

At the same time, the pool saw what appeared to be an inflatable emergency slide hanging from the right-front door of the new plane. That was opposite the left-side door President Trump normally uses.

President Trump stepped out of Marine One at 2:24 p.m. and addressed reporters on the tarmac. He said crews were checking the emergency slide and estimated the work would take about 15 minutes.

When a reporter asked whether the aircraft was safe to fly, President Trump answered that it was — adding that he would not board it otherwise. The pool then watched him board the new Air Force One at 2:34 p.m.

A second angle captured the same bizarre moment from farther down the flight line:

The president was preparing to travel to Dallas for the Republican midterm convention.

As crews worked, the older presidential aircraft appeared to be positioned as a possible backup. It was not immediately clear whether the slide deployment was planned maintenance, a test, or an accidental activation.

ADVERTISEMENT

Follow-up footage showed personnel pulling the slide down while President Trump continued to wait in Marine One:

The aircraft is the newly converted Boeing 747-8 that now serves as a bridge between the aging presidential fleet and the long-delayed next-generation Air Force One planes.

The U.S. Air Force announced in June that the VC-25B Bridge aircraft had arrived at the Presidential Airlift Group following extensive government modifications.

The Air Force said the plane was intended to ease pressure on the older VC-25A fleet while Boeing continues work on the permanent replacements. It described the commissioning flights as a “final exam” for the aircraft’s mission systems and operating protocols.

Officials also said presidential airlift crews retain access to the bridge aircraft, the older VC-25As, and the smaller C-32 fleet, giving planners more than one option for a mission.

Wednesday’s slide deployment naturally raised eyebrows because it happened at the exact moment the president was due to board.

But the immediate facts were reassuring: President Trump was safe, crews were on the scene, the backup aircraft was available, and the president himself said the new plane was safe to fly.

By 2:50 p.m., the pool reported that the new Air Force One was rolling and preparing for takeoff. The unexpected tarmac drama created a delay — not a crisis.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

ADVERTISEMENT

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.