GOP Official: Senators Land in Mobile After Reporting Landing Gear Problems

AP Breaking ^ | Oct. 29, 2002 | AP

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - A plane carrying three U.S. senators bound for a campaign event in Missouri landed in Alabama after pilots reported problems with the landing gear, a Republican official said.

Ann Wagner, co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee and the Missouri Republican chairwoman, said late Monday that a plane carrying Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., and Sens. Peter Fitzgerald, R-Ill., and Rick Santorum, R-Pa., reported problems with its landing gear and landed at Mobile.

A police report at Mobile Regional Airport indicated that a Challenger 250 landed safely Monday at 3:28 p.m. CST after reporting its landing gear was stuck. The report did not indicate the plane's point of origin, destination or the names or number of passengers, an officer said.

The three senators were believed to be flying to an evening reception promoting Republican Jim Talent, who is challenging Sen. Jean Carnahan, D-Mo.

Word of a possible emergency landing brought back memories of the plane crash last week that killed Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn. Wellstone, his wife, their adult daughter, three campaign staffers and two pilots all died in the crash as they were traveling to a funeral.

Talent wasn't scheduled to attend the Columbia event because of the death of his 91-year-old father, Milton Talent, on Sunday.

His opponent, Jean Carnahan, was appointed two years ago to serve in the place of her husband after he died in a plane crash just three weeks before the election.

AP-ES-10-29-02 0156EST

[concerned about politics]

This is getting to be quite the dangerous election this year.
To make it worse, Wellstones family is playing politics and blaming Republicans for everything under the sun. "They shouldn't do anything, say anything, think anything until after the funeral."
Hey, the world has to go on. There's a whole country full of people to take care of. The world cannot come to a stand still because of one man.
If the Wellstone family feels Republicans are bad for asking about Wellstones replacement, they should see the Democrats scrambling to find a canidate that would be even better!
I'm glad the people in this plane got down saftly. One plane crash already was enough.

[concerned about politics]

, VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY HAS BEEN DISINVITED BECAUSE HE SAID SOMETHING NEGATIVE ABOUT MONDALE!

Yeh.The family is even politicizing this. It's sick.
I'm beginning to think the Republicans had more respect for the guy than his own family and party.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Bingo.

[ladyinred]

It is for sure that the family and rats in general have no respect for the country. Insulting the VP like this at a funeral for a Senator is beyond contempt. That is one of the functions of the VP, always has been, and these people are getting more vicious daily. A slap in the face to all of us IMO.

[concerned about politics]

A slap in the face to all of us IMO.

Yes- And for Wellstone himself. He's not getting that honor. They brought in a serrogate instead. I think it shows a lot of disrespect for Welstone, too.

[MissAmericanPie]

Travel by train is wonderful, the food is great and it's very romantic.

[agrandis]

Don't forget this article. The Website in New Zealand that it was on was bought out a while back, by pornographers (Larry Flynt?), and now is for sale again. But, heh-heh, it survives on FR. The author considered a lawsuit but instead plans to revise it and put it right back up somewhere for all to see. Many people read his work when it was on that site.

Senator Inhofe's incident in OK was one of the most supicious mishaps mentioned in this article. I think someone in the Dem Mafia has an obsession with making hits by airplane sabotage, myself. It is said that the Mafia has often used this technique, historically, because most people can't believe that murders would be committed this way, and suspicions are usually low.

For what it's worth...

[philman_36]

With these late incidents maybe a close look needs to be taken at who is doing the maintenance on all of these aircraft.

[justshe]

The only two article I remember involved Biden and Schumer...at different times. Schumer was because of his announcing, premturely in Hillary's opinion, his support of McCall. I don't recall the reason for her blow-up at Biden.

[SlickWillard]

A police report at Mobile Regional Airport indicated that a Challenger 250 landed safely Monday at 3:28 p.m. CST after reporting its landing gear was stuck.

I hope this is a misprint. The only "Challenger" airplanes I can find at Google are ultralights. If the GOP was stupid enough to put three of their people in one of these, well, frankly they have no business running the senate:

Challenger Ultralight

Challenger II Trainer

Challenger Special

Challenger II Special

The only "Challenger 250" I could find is a boat:

KenCraft Challenger 250 CC

[SlickWillard]

A police report at Mobile Regional Airport indicated that a Challenger 250 landed safely Monday at 3:28 p.m. CST after reporting its landing gear was stuck.

I hope this is a misprint. The only "Challenger" airplanes I can find at Google are ultralights. If the GOP was stupid enough to put three of their people in one of these, well, frankly they have no business running the senate:

Challenger Ultralight

Challenger II Trainer

Challenger Special

Challenger II Special

The only "Challenger 250" I could find is a boat:

KenCraft Challenger 250 CC

[rintense]

I hope to travel by train someday. Almost went to Chicago via the train, but drove instead so I could haul all the shopping bags.

Thanks for the train tips! Your sentiments are shared by some of my friends too.

:)R

[putupon]

That's enough for me, add Mr., Mrs., and Miss Welfare + entourage to the Clinton Body Count.

[Sgt Carter]

News from Fitzgerald camp is that he wasn't on the plane.

[dljordan]

I am a pilot and former aircraft mechanic and it really strikes me as strange how many politcians die in plane crashes. It seems to be well out of proportion for general aviation overall.

[Sgt Carter]

Not only was he a peacenik he was a commie puke. I don't care one bit he's dead I think the country is better off. Cheney should give an interview about how sad he is that a few people would politicise a "great" senator's passing etc...etc, but that he will honor the families wishes.By the way who would of ever thought that Walter Mondale would be anyone's white knight? So what is the make up of the Senate right now? 48 dems, 48 repubs and 1 traitor?

[hattend]

Bomabardier/Canadair Challenger

Couldn't find a 250 but this is a 600. Apparently the in-line picture link doesn't work so go here for a whole bunch of Challengers for sale

[Southack]

With the nation so evenly split in the Senate and Congressional races, it's no great surprise that politicians are traveling more, and faster, than in other election years. More travel with less downtime equals more mechanical and weather hazards.

Ooops. I guess I forgot to take my conspiracy pill this morning...

[Southack]

Challenger 600 (Canadian Business Jet)

[TankerKC]

Democratic mechanics sabatage republican plane... no news at eleven.

Ignorant Freeper makes wild accusations and sabotages FreeRepublic’s credibility.