Summary
- Former President Donald Trump’s Boeing 757 was in a ground collision at West Palm Beach Airport on May 12.
- The incident involved Trump’s jet winglet and an unoccupied corporate jet elevator assembly, per FAA.
- This Boeing 757, registered as N757AF, has historical significance for Donald Trump and underwent recent restoration.
On Sunday, May 12, a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) belonging to former United States President Donald Trump was involved in a ground collision while taxiing. The BBJ, which is a Boeing 757, made contact with an unoccupied corporate jet at West Palm Beach International Airport (PIB), per Reuters.
Trump Force One: A Guide To Donald Trump’s Private Jet
Trump’s private aircraft is a custom Boeing 757 private jet.
Incident in Palm Beach
Specifically, the winglet of Trump’s Boeing 757 collided with the elevator assembly of the parked and unoccupied business jet, which was owned by VistaJet, per Aviation Source News. According to a statement released by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the incident occurred around 13:20 local time at the South Florida airport.
Photo: Ivan Cholakov | Shutterstock
Per Aviation Source News, the FAA also stated,
“A privately owned Boeing 757 landed safely at West Palm Beach International Airport around 1:20 a.m. local time on Sunday, May 12. While taxiing, its winglet contacted a parked and unoccupied corporate jet. The incident occurred in an area of the airport where the FAA does not direct aircraft. The FAA is investigating.”
The FAA did not directly mention either aircraft’s owner in its statement. The FAA also reported no injuries on the ground at the time of the incident. There was also no confirmation of whether Donald Trump was onboard his aircraft at the time of the incident. Reportedly, Trump had flown his plane from a recent rally at Wildwood Beach in New Jersey, which was held in advance of his upcoming election.
Trump’s Boeing 757
The Boeing Business Jet that Donald Trump frequently utilizes is his Boeing 757-200, registered as N757AF. Trump’s flagship aircraft was originally manufactured in 1991 and delivered to Sterling Airlines. Several other companies had ownership of the aircraft until Donald Trump purchased the 757-200 in 2011. The Boeing 757-200 has the following specifications:
|
Length |
155 feet three inches |
|---|---|
|
Height |
44 feet six inches |
|
Wingspan |
124 feet ten inches |
|
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) |
255,000 pounds |
|
Cruise speed |
Mach 0.80 (531 miles per hour) |
|
Maximum speed |
Mach 0.86 (571 miles per hour) |
|
Range |
3,915 nautical miles (4,505 miles) |
|
Ceiling |
42,000 feet |
This specific aircraft utilizes two Rolls-Royce RB211 engines. N757AF can fit approximately 43 passengers in its standard configuration, which is significantly less than the commercial version of the aircraft, which can seat over 200 passengers in some cases.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
N757AF was Trump’s aircraft of choice during his 2016 Presidential campaign. However, after his eventual Presidential victory in 2016, Trump moved his Boeing 757-200 into storage, as he would be transported onboard the Air Force One for the next several years. The aircraft remained in storage until after Trump was out of office.
In May 2021, Trump revealed plans to restore and upgrade the aircraft. These upgrades would take place at Chennault International Airport (CWF) in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Eventually, in 2022, the 757-200 was recommissioned and ferried to West Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump resides.
