In what is being described as a "close call", a Boeing C-40 Clipper Air National Guard (ANG) VIP aircraft, the military version of the Boeing 737-700C, sometimes used as Air Force Two, carrying First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the Vice President, was forced to abort landing at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington (ADW) shortly after 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, April 18, 2011 as reported by the Associated Press, North Jersey News, USA Today, the U.K. newspaper The Telegraph, The Washington Post, and other media sources on Tuesday, April 19, 2011.
Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden were returned from New York City where they both appeared on the ABC network television series The View, as seen in the slide show and video clip which accompany this article.
Their aircraft was ordered to go-around by FAA air traffic controllers because it was trailing a massive 200 ton Boeing C-17 Globemaster III United States Air Force cargo transport by only 3 miles, under the 5 mile distance required by the FAA to avoid wake turbulence.
Although both aircraft landed safely, the incident is being investigated as a possible error by controllers at a regional radar facility in Warrenton, VA, that handles approaches and departures for several airports, including Andrews, where the president’s aircraft, Air Force One, is maintained.
Mrs. Obama's plane was originally ordered to do a series of S-turns to increase the separation between it and the C-17. As this maneuver did not provide sufficient time to insure that the much larger transport would be clear of the active runway, the First Lady's aircraft was then directed to abort its landing and do a go-around, which is a standard procedure for what is called a missed approach.
According to statements by aviation safety expert John Cox, there was no danger to either aircraft. As Mr. Cox, who is a former commercial airline pilot, later stated, "Every professional pilot I have ever known has been in situation where they were overtaking the plane in front of them and asked to do an S-turn. The only issue that could have come up was if they’d encountered the wake of the C-17."
Nevertheless, the incident is bringing unwanted attention to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is particularly sensitive to additional negative exposure in the wake of its own turbulence with the media over a spate of air traffic controllers suspended for sleeping while on duty, and the recent resignation of its Director of Operations, Hank Krakowski.
It is not clear why the plane carrying the wives of the government's top two executives, President Obama, and Vice President Biden, were not given landing priority over the C-17.
As of November 2010 there were 224 C-17 Globemasters built. The $191 million aircraft is primarily used by the USAF, the Royal Air Force (RAF) of the United Kingdom, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and Canadian Forces.
According to a statement released by the FAA, "The aircraft were never in any danger. The plane did not have the required amount of separation behind a military C17, and the FAA is investigating the incident."
An official at Andrews base, Major Michelle Lai, stated in a CNN interview, "At no time was the First Lady's life in danger."
While these statements are technically true, it is highly unusual to allow even the most remote safety concern to develop in an aircraft carrying such high level VIPs.
The NTSB is also looking into the matter, but may decide not to open a formal investigation.
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