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Obama's Plane Mishap - Two Different Versions

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 10:13:06 PM EST
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The good news is no one was hurt. The odd news is the disparate versions about the mishap.

First, ABC News: The headline is "Obama's Plane Strikes Parked Plane on Runway"

From the text of the article:

At 2:45 a.m. Central Time, the Gulfstream 2 plane that carried Obama, nine other passengers and two crew members struck a parked Cessna 208 general aviation plane, which can carry 10 to 12 passengers.

There was minor damage to the wings of both aircraft, although no one on either of the planes was injured.

It then gives this background:

Before leaving his Las Vegas event that evening, Obama commented that he only had one hour to speak to the crowd, so his pilot wouldn't get "cut off" and so he wouldn't get in trouble with his wife. Obama will be in Chicago today, enjoying a prescheduled day off with his family.

Compare The Swamp, from the Chicago Tribune:

More....

Headline: "Obama's plane touches wings with another at MDW"

Text:

A plane carrying Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama touched wings with another aircraft early Saturday morning after landing at Chicago's Midway Airport. His campaign described it as a minor incident and said no one was injured. It happened about 2:30 a.m., as the Illinois Democrat was returning home after two campaign appearances in Las Vegas.

"From what I know, no one on board felt it," said Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt. "It was just a matter of the wings touching."

Not until the bottom does it say,

The left wing of the senator's plane hit the right wing of an empty Cessna 208 plane, said Elizabeth Isham Corey, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Or that there will be an investigation.

So which was it? Did the planes "touch wings" or did Obama's plane hit a parked plane? (My criticism here is solely of the media reporting. It would be nice if they could get the facts straight.)

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    Obama's Plane Mishap - Two Different Versions | 6 comments (6 topical)

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    Phew since no (none / 0) (#1)
    by Jgarza on Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 11:06:54 PM EST
    one was hurt this is actually pretty funny.

    My guess is that the wings just had to have touched since plane collisions, even at taxi speeds cause a  lot of damage.  Scary though, I hope the have mandates on airplane insurance

    Hmm (none / 0) (#2)
    by chemoelectric on Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 11:57:59 PM EST
    If the empty plane were not also a parked plane, that would be cause for extreme concern, unless it were a NASA experiment of some kind.

    I'm no FAA inspector (none / 0) (#3)
    by manys on Sun Jan 13, 2008 at 12:10:55 AM EST
    It sounds like someone was in a hurry.

    I guess I don't see the difference.... (none / 0) (#4)
    by jerry on Sun Jan 13, 2008 at 12:21:12 AM EST
    The empty plane had to be parked, so I am not sure I see the difference.  My guess is they hit it while parking at the executive terminal.  Note, left wing hits right wing means the two planes were headed in the same direction.

    This just shows your anti-Obama bias! (none / 0) (#5)
    by joc on Sun Jan 13, 2008 at 09:54:31 AM EST
    Barack works tirelessly to bring people together, and now that he has expanded his message to include aircraft all you do is complain, complain, complain.

    Obama is a movement! (Except when standing still on a tarmac.)

    Laughing out loud (none / 0) (#6)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Jan 13, 2008 at 11:37:40 AM EST


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    Obama's Plane Mishap - Two Different Versions | 6 comments (6 topical)

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