Coast Guard Gulfstream Lands Safely After Engine Failure

A United States Coast Guard Gulfstream G550 declared an emergency and diverted to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on Wednesday afternoon after suffering an in-flight engine failure. The aircraft, carrying Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and 13 other people, was traveling from Georgia to Washington, D.C. When the incident occurred.

One of the pilots told air traffic control "we just lost our right engine" before requesting an immediate landing. The Gulfstream, operating under the call sign C101, executed a safe single-engine landing at DCA at approximately 1:35 PM ET. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority stated there were no injuries and no disruption to other flights at the airport, which is home to the busiest single runway in the United States.

The Emergency Landing Sequence

The flight crew reported a possible mechanical issue to air traffic control as they neared Washington. The aircraft involved is a military variant of the Gulfstream G550, designated the C-37A, used by the DHS for executive transport. After landing safely, the jet was inspected by Airports Authority Fire and Rescue before taxiing off the runway.

In a social media post, DHS Secretary Mullin praised the Coast Guard pilots. He stated that the pilots made the single-engine landing feel routine, with no panic, just straight professionalism. Mullin added that after landing, the pilots told him it was their first-ever single-engine landing.

An Aging Executive Transport Fleet

The specific Gulfstream jet involved has been in service since 2002 and is powered by two Rolls-Royce BR710 turbofan powerplants. It is assigned to Air Station Washington at Reagan National Airport. The Department of Homeland Security has previously raised concerns about this aircraft's condition, describing it as operating beyond Gulfstream's recommended service life and "well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft."

The agency is in the process of replacing its older jets. It has ordered two new Gulfstream G700s in a deal worth up to $200 million, with one delivered in January 2025. The second G700 is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026. These new aircraft are intended to replace the aging C-37A and C-37B platforms.

The US Coast Guard operates a small fleet of three Gulfstream jets from Air Station Washington. The fleet currently consists of the incident aircraft (a C-37A), a newer C-37B based on the G550 delivered in 2022, and the recently delivered G700.

Engine Failure and Aircraft Design

Losing a powerplant in flight is a serious event, but twin-engine aircraft like the Gulfstream are designed to handle such a failure. Aircraft with two or more engines are certified to continue flying safely and divert to a suitable airport. The cause of Wednesday's engine failure has not been revealed by the Coast Guard.

With the flight originating in Georgia, the failure occurred near the end of the journey and in close proximity to a major airport like DCA. In-flight engine failures are rare occurrences. According to FAA data cited in the report, the failure rate for commercial jet engines is approximately one failure per 375,000 flight hours. Secretary Mullin highlighted the rarity, noting the pilots told him the single-engine landing was a first for them.