NTSB launches investigation into incident involving Michelle Obama's plane

[News_Editor]

NTSB launches investigation into incident involving Michelle Obama's plane

2011-04-21 00:24:14 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Wednesday launched an investigation after an aircraft carrying First Lady Michelle Obama was forced to abort a landing attempt on Monday.

The incident happened at around 5 p.m. Eastern time on Monday when the military version of a Boeing 737 carrying Michelle Obama was preparing to land on Runway 19 at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, about 8 miles (13 kilometers) east of Washington, D.C.

"The [plane] that Mrs. Obama was traveling in was directed to abort its landing attempt after the required minimum separation between it and a C-17 military aircraft that was landing ahead of it was compromised," the NTSB said in a statement.

The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are now investigating whether a mistake of an air traffic controller led to the incident, which in itself was relatively minor and both aircraft landed without incident. "The aircraft were never in any danger," the FAA said.

The incident comes amid a series of embarrassing incidents in which FAA air traffic controllers fell asleep while on duty, and most recently an air traffic controller who was watching a movie instead of monitoring air traffic.

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