George W. Bush’s jet makes emergency landing

DALLAS — A private jet carrying former President George W. Bush from Philadelphia made an emergency landing in Kentucky Saturday night after the pilot reported the smell of smoke in the cockpit.

The Gulfstream IV landed safely at the Louisville airport at 8:46 p.m. It’s uncertain what caused the alarm or what happened once on the ground, but Bush’s office in Dallas told News 8 that the president continued his trip back to Texas aboard the same aircraft.

“President Bush's flight was briefly diverted to Louisville this evening, but he is already safely home in Dallas,” said Freddy Ford, a spokesman for the former president.

Bush is honorary chairman of The First Tee, which supports youth education programs through golf, and was returning from an event in Philadelphia.