A snowstorm prevented staff from being able to align stairs with Air Force One, resulting in United States president Joe Biden becoming trapped on the plane for more than 30 minutes.  

The incident occurred on January 3, 2022 as Biden was returning from his holidays.  

The Boeing C-32m, a heavily modified 757 airliner designed to carry the American head of state, landed at Andrews Air Force Base (ADW) in Maryland, close to Washington DC. 

However, a severe snowstorm had impacted the area. Heavy snowfall caused thousands of flight cancellations over the weekend in multiple US cities, and it began to affect the Washington DC area on the night of January 3.  

While dozens of workers rushed to clear the runway as the aircraft landed, the stairs became stuck in the snow and were unable to reach the plane.  

According to NBC, Biden and his staff spent more than 30 minutes on board the aircraft before the path was cleared and the stairs were able to reach the aircraft. 

The subsequent drive to the White House was also plagued with problems, as the presidential motorcade was forced to make its way slowly through the city’s snow-laden streets.