![]() ![]() The required separation between the two planes "was compromised," the NTSB said in a statement. This "go-around" is considered a type of aborted landing. When controllers realised there still might not be enough time for the cargo plane to clear the Andrews runway before her plane landed, they directed the pilot to circle the airport. The FAA requires a minimum separation of five miles between two planes when the plane in the lead is as large as the 200-tonne military cargo jet, in order to avoid dangerous wake turbulence that can severely affect the trailing aircraft.Īndrews' civilian air traffic controllers initially ordered the first lady's plane to conduct a series of turns to bring it farther from the military jet. The incident occurred at about 5pm, when a Boeing 737 belonging to the Air National Guard, one of several guard planes used by the White House, came within about three miles of a massive C-17 cargo plane as the planes were approaching Andrews to land, according to the FAA and a base spokeswoman. While aborted landings are not unusual, and the first lady was apparently not in serious danger, the episode became another embarrassment for the FAA. The aborted landing involving Michelle Obama's plane occurred on Monday at Andrews air force base just outside Washington. Officials said the controller made himself a makeshift bed and deliberately slept for about five hours despite attempts by a co-worker to wake him. The Knoxville incident occurred on 19 February at a radar facility at McGhee Tyson airport. A preliminary review of air traffic tapes indicated he did not miss any calls from aircraft and there was no impact on flight operations. ![]() The FAA moved swiftly in the case of the Miami controller, who the agency said was found sleeping at about 5am on Saturday at a regional radar facility that handles high-altitude air traffic for portions of Florida, the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it has opened an investigation into the aborted landing of Michelle Obama's plane. The new rules apply to approaches and departures handled by a regional air traffic facility in Warrenton, Virginia, and takeoffs and landings at Andrews air force base in Maryland, where the presidential fleet is based.įlights with the president on board are already required to be handled by a supervisor. Under the new air traffic rules, flights carrying Michelle Obama or the vice-president will be handled by an air traffic supervisor rather than a controller, the agency said. They had been found sleeping during overnight shifts, according to the FAA. The controllers fired on Wednesday were assigned to radar facilities in Miami and Knoxville, Tennessee. ![]()
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