"That Was a First for Them": The Coast Guard C-37A's Single-Engine Landing at DCA

A Coast Guard jet carrying the Secretary of Homeland Security lost an engine mid-flight near Washington and landed on the other one at Reagan National — a single-engine arrival the crew themselves said was a first in their careers, delivered, in the Secretary's words, as routine.

An Engine Gone, Fourteen People Aboard

The C-37A — the military designation for a Gulfstream business jet, roughly two decades old — was carrying DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin along with 13 others when it lost its right engine in flight. Twin-engine jets like this are certified to fly, climb, and land safely on one engine; that certification is exactly what this flight tested for real rather than in a simulator.

"We Just Lost Our Right Engine"

The pilot's transmission to air traffic control was as direct as the situation called for: "we just lost our right engine and would like to declare an emergency and an immediate landing at DCA." That's a crew going straight to the point — no extended troubleshooting narrative, just the essential fact and the request that follows from it.

Landing at DCA

The aircraft diverted to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and landed safely at about 1:35 p.m., on one engine. No injuries were reported among anyone aboard.

"That Was a First for Them"

Secretary Mullin later described the landing in terms that say as much about the crew as the airplane: "The United States Coast Guard pilots made the single-engine landing feel routine. No panic, just straight professionalism. After we landed, the pilots told me that was a first for them! We could not have been in better hands." A single-engine landing in a twin jet is a trained, briefed, and practiced emergency procedure — but hearing directly from the pilots that they'd never actually had to fly one for real before, only in training, underscores how much of this outcome came down to the crew executing a procedure correctly under real pressure rather than it being a routine occurrence.

Investigation Status

As a military aircraft, this incident falls under Coast Guard/military investigation processes rather than the NTSB's civil aviation docket system; the mechanical cause of the engine loss has not been detailed publicly.

This reconstruction was researched from official investigation records where they exist, the original air traffic control recording, and contemporary reporting. The aircraft movement, timeline and written account were assembled independently by Flight Follower. Where an investigation is open or no probable cause has been published, the account says so rather than offering one.

Timeline

Accident Facts

Sources

• CNN, "Homeland Security secretary's Coast Guard plane makes emergency landing"
• NBC News, "Coast Guard plane carrying DHS secretary makes emergency landing after engine failure"
• FLYING Magazine, "DHS Secretary Lauds Pilots of Coast Guard C-37A After Emergency Landing"
• Daily Voice, "Coast Guard Pilots Make First Single-Engine Landing At DCA With DHS Secretary Aboard"