"(Oak Ridge, Tennessee-AP) -- A problem with the flaps aboard Air Force One has caused President Bush to use a back-up plane during a trip to Tennessee. The problem was discovered soon after the president's Boeing 747 landed at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base near Knoxville. Press Secretary Scott McClellan says one of the flaps had come off its track. But he says Bush and others on the plane were never in any danger. The president was in Tennessee to visit the Oak Ridge nuclear weapons lab -- and see nuclear equipment recently surrendered by Libya. A smaller Boeing 757 from the presidential fleet at Andrews Air Force Base was flown to Tennessee to take Bush back to Washington. "
This is yet another instance where the press is left to interpret an event with fuzzy information from press secretaries.
If it really was the 'flaps' - this is a crucial flight control piece that would ground any aircraft... and is not to be taken lightly at all. This was a dangerous situation and they downplayed it. If it was a simple fix - why did he have to take another plane?
OR - was this a big coverup so that the press troupe couldn't follow Bush on the rest of the trip... "Um... yeah, we have a problem with this plane... so - you guys will have to find a ride home - BYE!"
Makes you think... .
Matt
This is yet another instance where the press is left to interpret an event with fuzzy information from press secretaries.
If it really was the 'flaps' - this is a crucial flight control piece that would ground any aircraft... and is not to be taken lightly at all. This was a dangerous situation and they downplayed it. If it was a simple fix - why did he have to take another plane?
OR - was this a big coverup so that the press troupe couldn't follow Bush on the rest of the trip... "Um... yeah, we have a problem with this plane... so - you guys will have to find a ride home - BYE!"
Makes you think... .
Matt