First Lady’s Plane Has Engine Trouble, Is Forced to Land
A plane flying First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to Central Asia was forced to dump fuel and return to Andrews Air Force Base on Sunday after experiencing engine problems 10 minutes after takeoff.
No injuries were reported.
Maintenance workers found a frayed wire in the outboard engine on the left wing, said a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity. A light indicator signaled a problem with the engine shortly after the plane took off, said a flight official.
Half a dozen firetrucks greeted the first lady’s plane and her entourage of aides and reporters when it landed at 9:55 p.m. EST.
White House spokesman Barry Toiv said President Clinton was informed of the incident “right away.” Toiv confirmed that the aircraft had mechanical problems.
Mrs. Clinton postponed her flight until this afternoon because immediate repairs couldn’t be made to the plane, air base officials said.
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