Second 'Near-Miss' Involving Air Force One

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Jan. 30) -- While a reported "near miss" Wednesday involving Air Force One and a Delta airliner remains under investigation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed another plane may have come even closer to the president's plane than the original one in question.

The FAA reports the Delta plane and Air Force One never came closer than the minimum separation standard of 3.0 nautical miles horizontally or 1,000 feet vertically. However, radar information from National Airport indicates that 14 seconds before the original "near miss" under investigation, a U.S. Airways flight appears to have violated the minimum separation standard.

Preliminary radar analysis indicates that in turning Air Force One to the southwest to provide separation from the Delta aircraft at approximately 9:16 a.m. ET, the proper separation was not maintained with the U.S. Airways aircraft which had been told to begin a circling maneuver in preparation for approach to National Airport. The two aircraft were separated at their closest point by 900 feet vertically and 2.36 nautical miles horizontally.

Friday Jan. 30, 1998

• Tripp Says She Heard Lewinsky On Phone With Clinton
• Indictment Looms For Buddhist Temple
• Pandora's Web?
• Judge: Secret Service Agents Do Not Have To Testify
• Text of Linda Tripp's Statement
• Another Odd Episode From Lewinsky's Love Life
• Republicans Speak Out On Clinton Controversy
• Second 'Near-Miss' Involving Air Force One

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