- Daily Photo: Obama Jokes Around at G-20
- Blackwater gets replaced in Iraq
- Daily Photo: U.S. Marines Look Out for Taliban in Afghanistan
- Hillary Clinton the Tomboy and Her "Ah-Ha" Moment
- Obama Administration Sudan Envoy Headed to Region
- Daily Photo: Potential Flashpoint in Iraq
- Clinton Says New Afghanistan-Pakistan Plan Depends on Diplomacy
- Exclusive: Three Israeli Airstrikes Against Sudan
- Additional 4,000 Troops to Be Ordered to Afghanistan
- Daily Photo: Navy Submarine Trains in the Arctic
- Alarm Over North Korea Missile Prep
- Anti-Terror Stimulus? US Offers Rewards for Top Terrorists
- Daily Photo: Pakistani Women in Refugee Camp
- Condoleezza Rice Appears on "The Tonight Show"
- Diplomat and Aid Group Sound the Alarm on Darfur Camp Situation
- auto industry rescue
- Ballotwatch
- Biden, Joe
- Bush, George W.
- Clinton, Bill
- Clinton, Hillary
- Dodd, Chris
- Edwards, John
- Giuliani, Rudy
- Gravel, Mike
- Huckabee, Mike
- Hunter, Duncan
- Inauguration
- Iraq
- Kucinich, Dennis
- McCain, John
- Obama, Barack
- Palin, Sarah
- Paul, Ron
- Romney, Mitt
- Tancredo, Tom
- Thompson, Fred
- Veepstakes
- Vote 2008: Democrats
- Vote 2008: Republicans
- Washington
- White House
« Previous | Main | Next »
Obama's Campaign Plane Makes Unscheduled Landing
Email
ShareJuly 07, 2008 11:18 AM
ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Barack Obama's presidential campaign plane made an unscheduled landing in St. Louis, Missouri, due to a maintenance problem.
While flying from Chicago to Charlotte, the pilot's first officer announced that they were experiencing "controllability issues" with the "pitch" of the MD-80, describing it as a "minor little problem" but significant enough to force the unscheduled stop.
Upon take off from Chicago in bad weather, the plane made an abnormally large dip and flight attendants hurriedly placed items in overhead compartments.
"We're doing O.K.!," Obama, D-Ill., said to the press after the incident, "A lot of excitement, huh? So everything is fine guys. Just thought we'd spice things up a little bit today. Don't you think?"
When asked if he was worried at the time, Obama told his traveling press corps, "Anytime a pilot says that something's not working the way it's supposed to, then you know, you make sure you tighten you seat belt. Everything seemed under control, the pilots knew what they were doing."
CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO OF OBAMA AFTER THE PLANE'S UNSCHEDULED LANDING
The presumptive Democratic nominee was aboard the plane at the time of the incident along with 44 additional passengers, including nine campaign staffers, a number of journalists and a protective Secret Service detail.
The landing in St. Louis was relatively smooth and the campaign initially considered moving Obama to a private airplane terminal but changed plans upon protests from the press. The candidate was eventually moved to a nearby hotel with a small number of journalists traveling with him.
The campaign has since announced that they will cancel Obama's scheduled event in Charlotte.
While still aboard the plane on the St. Louis tarmac, Obama milled about the front of his cabin -- reading his blackberry and he spoke to the pilot briefly. Staff opened large trip binders and talked to him (as they do on the plane ride) presumably going over details of a trip or a speech.
The candidate is calm, at one point turning around, put his hands up in a mocking type of fear, clearly downplaying the situation and poking fun at the press filming his every move.
Press are busy filing, phoning in stories and sending back video; according to the Obama campaign, mechanics are still "checking out the plane", which is not Obama's regular campaign plane. The private campaign plane he usually flies is in the process of undergoing renovations for the general election.
July 7, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (48)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
That MD-80 would score very low is ranked on a Global Warming scale. Where's the humanity?
Posted by: Marc | Jul 7, 2008 2:34:16 PM
john dont take offense----the one running for pres, scary thought
Posted by: rodney | Jul 7, 2008 2:41:02 PM
merri
that is how it was years ago lets keep it that way
Posted by: rodney | Jul 7, 2008 2:43:14 PM
Merri, do you mean the Democrats that now control the Congress and have the lowest approval rating in years, even lower than the President they said was the cause of all our problems? Yes, they certainly have the country running with all the efficiency of a mute cuckoo clock. And by the way, Merri, privatizing is nothing new - who do you think feeds the military in this country, or cleans government office buildings - it's private companies. And by the way, Merri, when gasoline hits $8 a gallon, remember that the Democrats blocked all the drilling for those enormous fields out there, and this economy will suffer dearly for it. And do you also mean the Democrats who wanted to surrender in Iraq and are now finding out that we are winning? Those Democrats?
Posted by: KPRO | Jul 7, 2008 2:56:33 PM
Has Obama blamed it on George Bush's failed policies yet?
Posted by: Ronnie Wrangler | Jul 7, 2008 2:56:49 PM
Rudderless????
Posted by: Jack | Jul 7, 2008 3:06:17 PM
The MD-80 is one of the all-time great, safe aircraft. Glad everything turned out OK, no matter how good you think you are, having airplane trouble will freak you out.
Posted by: spincut | Jul 7, 2008 3:10:26 PM
"Controllability" issues? Was it pulling to the right too much?
Posted by: Reasoned | Jul 7, 2008 3:13:59 PM
Yeah, but it isn't only his plane which has been pulling to the right.
It's almost as if his right leg is shorter as he pivots more to the right in the past couple weeks. But then I'd be worried if he didn't. If he kept ideologically to his extreme left base then we'd have what we've had for the past few decades - intransient leaders who refused to budge their position and most recently to not even recognize the opposing half of Americans.
Obama is currectly showing that he will be more than capable of representing ALL Americans in his capacity as President as he shifts closer to the center.
Posted by: Bad Buoy | Jul 7, 2008 3:33:51 PM
The MD 80 had a problem with the "jack screw" which controls the elevator. The jack screw if not properly cleaned and lubricated regularly, would bind and fail to spin under load. In 2001 after an Alaska Airlines MD-80 jet crashed off of the Oxnard, CA coast, all MD's were grounded for two weeks and their jack screws examined. Several of those jets were found to have binding occurring and required their jack screws to be replaced. As for Obama, if I were him, it would be Boeing planes from here on out. The 737 has the best safety record of any commercial jet in the sky.
Posted by: Brian | Jul 7, 2008 3:56:41 PM
WOW, 75,000 people in the open air football stadium for Barry's acceptance speech. That's gonna be a freaky crowd. I might have to show up and sell some tin peace signs for $100 or so. I'll make a fortune. Gosh, I hope it doesn't rain. I can see it now, as Barry screams about how we must destroy the U.S. economy because of global warming, it starts snowing in Denver in August. The freaky people are such i diots.
Posted by: killerbee | Jul 7, 2008 4:03:42 PM
Hard to control those planes when they're flip-flopping all over the place.
Posted by: Person | Jul 7, 2008 4:12:56 PM
Obama appears to love the attention, he is like a movie star.
Posted by: rogersm234 | Jul 7, 2008 4:20:55 PM
I liked Obama and CLinton...either or had my vote...women nor color matters to me...the economy is what matterst to me....all that other stuff is minor...we've had almost 50 "white" male presidents and look at or country..jobs going across seas..people here losing jobs, army losing lives...ITS TIME FOR SOMETHING NEW!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Ian | Jul 7, 2008 4:22:18 PM
This is such a non-story and I hear they are now looking into a "federal investigation" of the incident. If you're in the air odds are there will eventually be an incident. Lets not make Obama a greater story than the media has already made him!
Posted by: Sara | Jul 7, 2008 4:23:05 PM
All she does,,,
This article is not related to Hillary at all and the plane had problem was not because of her.
Sounds you just can not get over of her. Obama already won, take it with you.
Posted by: crisi08 | Jul 7, 2008 4:37:33 PM
I have never seen fellow Democrats stab fellow Democrats in the back, until the Obama cult took over the DNC and threw their best candidate out. PUMA, we have a mission, we will toss everyone involved in theis Obama mess out, or we may start a new Party.
Posted by: rogersm234 | Jul 7, 2008 4:37:38 PM
Re: "OBAMA'S AIRPLANE LANDS IN ST. LOUIS AFTER MECHANICAL PROBLEM...
Pilot Reports 'Controllablity Issues'..."
EVIDENTLY, THE PLANE, LIKE ITS MAIN PASSENGER, KEPT CHANGING IT'S POSITIONS!!!!
Posted by: JOA | Jul 7, 2008 4:38:21 PM
Hmm. 45 People on an MD-80. Now that is concern for the environment! No carbon footprint here folks. Just move along and do as I say, ok?
Posted by: Rafer Hoxworth | Jul 7, 2008 4:38:22 PM
It happens many times on commercial flights but since this is Obama's plane that's big story.
Posted by: catleya | Jul 7, 2008 4:42:05 PM
Post a comment
