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Obama Campaign Plane Emergency: Report Shows it Could Have Been Catastrophic
July 11, 2009 9:00 AM
ABC News’ Sarah Tobianski Reports: A report just out this week shows that the emergency landing of then-Senator Obama’s campaign plane made last July could have been a disaster, with catastrophic effects.
Just over a year ago, on a charter flight from Chicago, IL to Charlotte, NC then-presidential candidate Obama and a group of 50 crew members and passengers unknowingly experienced quite a scare high above the clouds – when an evacuation slide mysteriously inflated in the plane’s tail prompting an emergency landing shortly after takeoff.
Now, a report released Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board shows that the inflated slide may have pressed against cables controlling the plane’s up and down movements, much worse than the preliminary reports at the time showed.
Though the report didn’t reveal exactly why the slide inflated, flight calculations showed that momentum from the plane’s takeoff was of “sufficient magnitude and duration” to cause the slide’s cover to open and inflate. The slide is covered with a cone that forms the hind-most part of the fuselage.
In addition, tests recreating the incident indicated the slide could have been improperly tied-down and bracketed because “a properly secured slide cover would not have allowed the slide to rotate enough to activate its inflation cylinder.”
The report doesn’t name the flight’s pilot but does detail his experience, which he recently told his hometown newspaper he relied on that day even though it may not have been enough to prevent disaster.
“We just did what any professional airline crew would have done,” pilot Matt Hussey said. “Did my skills alone prevent a crash? I can't say that.”
At the time, the airline owner, Midwest Airlines, said safety “was never an issue.” But, an ABC News exclusive report released last August said that the FAA did not declare the incident an emergency even though the plane’s pilot called in an emergency to air traffic control 41 seconds after losing control. Once the plane reached a lower altitude, the slide deflated some with the change in pressure and the pilot regained control to land.
After the incident, Midwest inspected all other MD-80 planes in their fleet as scheduled and reported “no anomalies.” MD-80s series planes are some of the oldest aircraft that U.S. airlines are flying today.
The report also said that an internal Secret Service investigation found that no agents “interfered with or altered the aircraft's hardware or systems” during their inspections and that the “plane had flown 15 flight legs since the last service check” of the emergency landing gear.
A NTSB spokesman says a final report is expected later this summer.
-Sarah Tobianski
July 11, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (20)
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Wow! One Question: Ron Brown part deux?
Posted by: Savage | Jul 12, 2009 11:51:06 AM
I guess we are supposed to be eternally grateful that the POTENTIAL for disaster did not happen. ABC cannot bring itself to report CURRENT FACTS... instead dig up something to write about that did not even happen. OMG ! ! ! !
Posted by: Reeba | Jul 12, 2009 11:07:42 AM
I shruddered when I first heard the story! Never fly on a DC 9 if you can help it! Even I know that. Most airline have retired them by now. DC 9's makes a poor work horse, especially if you using the plane for political campaign with lot of take-offs and landings! All those smart Obama campaign people should have known better!
Posted by: charleschaplin | Jul 11, 2009 9:21:23 PM
Oh my God what a scary story! Thank you Jesus for protecting Barack Obama!
Posted by: V. Brame | Jul 11, 2009 8:51:45 PM
wow ..can you imagine all the money we have saved if it actually had fall from the sky ?? 3 1/2 trillion dolars..wow
Posted by: Frank | Jul 11, 2009 4:30:20 PM
The pilot had called in requesting an emergency landing. Had he not done so, it is very likely that aircraft would have crashed...seems the higher the plane travelled, the worse the upward tilt of the nose. No, I do not agree with those saying, "could've, would've, but nothing happened". I am just glad the plane landed safely. Everyone else should be also!
Posted by: NinaK | Jul 11, 2009 2:48:46 PM
Disaster? Biden, or Pelosi???? Worse? God help us all!
Posted by: pop | Jul 11, 2009 2:39:57 PM
I've read the report. It does not support the story -- no mention of catastrophic risk or potential effect on controls. It does mention a grease mark on the slide consistent with contact with a control cable. This is bogus journalism.
Posted by: Vermonter | Jul 11, 2009 12:11:45 PM
God, how I miss Walter Cronkite and legitimate news coverage. How sad my Gen X children and Gen Y grandchildren will never know anything except 24/7/365 hype masquerading as news. We might as well let American Idol run our elections and oversee the text votes, that's how little legitimate qualifications that have been substantiated based on original source documents mean in today's celebrity-laced, Orwellian world.
Posted by: Denny | Jul 11, 2009 12:06:52 PM
Typical of ABC to write some fluff piece on what COULD have happened to Obama. Keep trying because you are #2 right now behind MSNBC- the #1 Obama network!!! ABC is in 2nd place but they keep trying awfully hard...how bout some more infomercials and government propoganda...maybe a piece from Kenya on how they feel slighted by Barry ignoring them. Or would that stir up the whole birth cert issue and Obamas relationship with Odinga ?? Lets go there ABC ----naw --you wont....
Posted by: jimbo | Jul 11, 2009 11:58:11 AM
ABC, this is not really news.
What could have happened, but didn't really shouldnt be written about.
This is just to add more drama for Obama.
Posted by: lm | Jul 11, 2009 11:43:02 AM
Isn't this like really OLD news? Must be a slow day at the news desk.
Posted by: Boxcar | Jul 11, 2009 11:20:51 AM
so are we going to have 14 days of coverage, with headlines screaming
"RACIST AIRLINE TRIES TO KILL CANDIDATE"
Get over it
Posted by: Obamas brownnosing media network | Jul 11, 2009 11:20:23 AM
You can't admit this in real life (without being treated as a novice weakling, non-professional who just isn't use to flying) but the mechanical failure factor is why, even after at least 50 flights, I'm still afraid of flying. I do it when I have to, or for a vacation I really need, but I'm afraid of flying. I'm not alone either, there are a lot of people who are secretly afraid also. Do this next time you fly: Glance at everyone's face as the plane is landing. The expressions goes from a bored looks, to slightly content expressions, as the plane settles down on the landing gear and the reverse thrusters start slowing the plane down. I always glance around and see this on the faces of most of the passengers; they just brighten right up ;)
Posted by: Ozarkess | Jul 11, 2009 11:12:18 AM
DanO wrote: "tanarg: Why don't you simply read the linked report from the NTSB?"
---
Links are for ADDITIONAL information, not information needed to make the story itself intelligible.
Posted by: tanarg | Jul 11, 2009 10:52:42 AM
"Unintended Consequences"
Posted by: Papa Ray | Jul 11, 2009 10:41:00 AM
Coulda, woulda, shoulda ! ! ! !
Posted by: Reeba | Jul 11, 2009 10:32:16 AM
tanarg: Why don't you simply read the linked report from the NTSB.
"The captain reported that after liftoff the airplane's pitch continued to increase without a corresponding flight control input. The airplane's pitch reached 20-25 degrees nose up before he regained control using control column and stabilizer pitch trim inputs."
"Regained control" means he lost control at some point.
Posted by: DanO | Jul 11, 2009 9:39:25 AM
"could have been a disaster, with catastrophic effects"....like Y2K? What kind of a story is 'could have'?? Why not just headline "Hillary! Foiled Again!" Could have been............
Posted by: MidwestIowa | Jul 11, 2009 9:34:55 AM
1. "after losing control" in 4th paragraph from the end: Nowhere in the story does the writer say the pilot "lost control" of the plane.
2. "could have been a disaster, with catastrophic effects" in 1st paragraph: Story never says what could have happened and why it would have been "catastrophic."
3. Gee, it's really good to know that SS agents aren't sabotaging planes these days.
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Where are your editors, ABC??
Posted by: tanarg | Jul 11, 2009 9:16:44 AM
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