Political Punch
Power, pop, and probings from ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper

« Previous | Main | Next »

Obama's Plane Scare

July 08, 2008 7:36 AM

By the time we all heard about it the unscheduled stop that the campaign plane of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, made in St. Louis yesterday was ultimately uneventful. But the incident was quite dicey there for a spell.

As the pilot struggled to re-gain control of the pitch of the plane - the angle of the nose of the plane - Obama was told that he and the other 44 passengers on board might have to assume the brace position upon landing, bending forward with their heads between their knees.

That ultimately did not happen, but National Transportation Safety Board chairman Mark Rosenker told ABC News' Dennis Powell yesterday that the incident "is extremely serious in this particular case."

An inflatable slide in the tail cone of the plane had deployed, making control of the plane tough. "There are hydraulic lines back there," Rosenker says. 'There are control cables that deal with the elevators and other area's of control surfaces for the aircraft, and could potentially make it extremely difficult if not impossible to fly the aircraft."

Three fire trucks met the plane on the tarmac in St. Louis. Obama called his wife Michelle to let her know he was fine before she saw anything on TV about the plane's unscheduled landing. The plane was supposed to land in Charlotte, NC.

This was not Obama's regular campaign plane, which is being overhauled. It was a loaner, having previously been used by Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY.

- jpt

July 8, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (86)

User Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Re American flag on Obama's plane tail: his campaign leased the plane from North American Airlines, which had a stylization of the Stars and Bars on its tail. This was trademarked, and when O's campaign bbought the plane, had to be changed to comply with the law. Hence the Obama red, white and blue logo that replaced it. Another red herring rumor discredited.

Posted by: nora Brill | Aug 10, 2008 4:37:22 PM

What's up with Obama removing the American flag from the tail of his plane? If he wants to be President for the Americans, shouldn't he show his American pride?

Posted by: Rhonda Cooley | Aug 4, 2008 10:58:41 AM

Hey Rob Johnson, you're being sarcastic right? Seriously, that's sarcasm I hear, correct?

Posted by: TPL | Jul 22, 2008 7:28:30 PM

"LOL American scum so short sighted and manipulated by anything that inspires their fears and draws imagination; all for a good story.
You're screwed; the world left you behind in 2000, enjoy your world of class conflict and the dystopia that is your reality."

Meanwhile, we'll all let you enjoy your fantasy. LOL


Posted by: Robbie Hatfield | Jul 14, 2008 4:51:41 PM

Anyone with a brain supports Obama... it's that simple.

Posted by: Rob Johnson | Jul 11, 2008 7:07:34 PM

I think they are trying to get him or atleast scare him. May got be with you Obama.

Posted by: John Smith | Jul 9, 2008 7:19:16 AM

Hispanics support John McCain.

Posted by: janephilip | Jul 9, 2008 2:04:06 AM

Jews support John McCain.

Posted by: janephilip | Jul 9, 2008 2:02:47 AM

Maybe if North Carolina had a better turn-out than less than 150 people, he would have gone to NC. After the pilot claimed he noticed an issue on his Midway take-off, the plane traveled another 300 miles in the opposite direction before making a normal landing. On the recorded tape, people didn't sound too concerned, and it sounds as though folks are partying in the cockpit.

Posted by: Shelly | Jul 9, 2008 12:59:40 AM

Stories like this make me nervous.

Posted by: Passin Thru | Jul 8, 2008 11:45:01 PM

Ron Brown was not available for comment.

Posted by: TheOldMan | Jul 8, 2008 10:24:26 PM

"I'm amazed that Obama hasn't claimed that he single handedly save all on board by 'smiling'."

Did The One pray, as many do in such situations? Did he pray out loud? If so, to whom or what? Does he stutter when he prays?

Posted by: Belle Starr | Jul 8, 2008 10:20:13 PM

Too much hot air aboard, most likely -- and what in the world were happen were he and that blowhard Biden were on the SAME plane??

Double-crossing the Democrats on every single subject, then planning a grand "post-partisan" coronation, separate from the tacky ole Democratic Convention.

If there are any actual Democrats left in the "leadership", they should ground The One in Chicago, and confine him to the grounds of the Obama-Rezko mansion, for (nearly) hijacking the nomination under false pretenses . . . then go on to Denver and nominate a REAL Democrat, preferably John Edwards.

Posted by: Belle Starr | Jul 8, 2008 10:17:15 PM

At some point, somebody's going to have to explain to me what 'change' means. Clinton said that in 1992 and I didn't see any change. I wouldn't buy a BigGulp from this Obama fraud.

Posted by: wazzy | Jul 8, 2008 9:13:42 PM

KUDOS....To Obama who is the only Democrat trying to clean up Bush's mess and PREVENT MCCAIN FROM HURTING THE ECONOMY MORE!

Posted by: Michele | Jul 8, 2008 8:51:43 PM

JFK jr bought more airplane than he knew how to fly, and exceeded his license, flying after dark, over water, when his license was Visual Flight only.

I don't know as much about DC-9s as many of you claim to. What it appears is that the emergency slide in the tail-cone inflated unexpectedly, and pressed against the tail control cables and levers. Having decreased control over the horizontal tail surfaces is not a good thing. The plane appears to have been tail-down, nose-up, which is less dangerous than the opposite.

I don't believe it's possible to intentionally deploy the slide without releasing the tail-cone, and de-pressurizing the cabin. I think it's a mechanical.

Posted by: Sam What Am | Jul 8, 2008 5:39:49 PM

No one really believes it's a Clinton conspiracy, but it's fun to say it.

Posted by: LongT | Jul 8, 2008 5:21:35 PM

The Clinton's plane? Humm!

Posted by: LongT | Jul 8, 2008 5:18:33 PM

Hey CB -
The earth is a sphere, so when you fly, you go on curves.

Posted by: DS3M | Jul 8, 2008 4:28:19 PM

I'm amazed that Obama hasn't claimed that he single handedly save all on board by "smiling."

Posted by: chattyway | Jul 8, 2008 4:19:42 PM

Post a comment





 

POLITICAL VIDEOS