Nashville ? A small, twin-engine plane carrying White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card made an emergency landing in Nashville on Saturday after smoke began pouring into the cockpit, officials said.

Card and 12 others on board were not injured when the Gulfstream 4 plane bound for Washington landed at the Nashville International Airport about 4 p.m., said Lynne Lowrance, an airport spokeswoman.

The plane left Texas, where Card has been meeting with President Bush at his ranch in Crawford, White House spokesman Ken Lisaius said.

“They made the decision to be safe rather than sorry,” Lisaius said. “I was told it was a fairly routine matter.”

Lowrance said the 12 other passengers included secret service members.