Whoa:
Air Force 1 media pool reports another plane,apparently military transport, flew within 1,000 feet of presidential aircraft on FL to MD flt.
— PETER MAER (@petermaer) April 10, 2017
More from pool reporter Steve Harman:
We just landed at JBA. A bit of excitement six minutes before wheels down. My pool report below (@AP got a shot of the other plane). pic.twitter.com/B8JcdtjMqV
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) April 9, 2017
We’ll update if/when we learn more.
Update: Here’s the photo:
Reporters Surprised When Another Plane Spotted Close to Air Force One https://t.co/qEYaQrJ1fu
— Samit Verma (@SamitVerma2) April 10, 2017
More from Steve Herman:
No explanation offered
Air Force One is often given more separation by air traffic controllers beyond the typical 300 meters vertically or 4.8 kilometers horizontally spacing.
No one on Sunday evening answered the 89th Airlift Wing public affairs duty officer line at Andrews. The wing includes the Presidential Airlift Group, which operates the VC-25 military plane, a military version of the Boeing 747, that has the call sign Air Force One when the president is aboard.
No one answered the phone at Potomac Consolidated Terminal Radar Approach Control, which controls airspace over Andrews and more than four major commercial airports in the metropolitan region.
There was no immediate comment from the White House and it is unknown whether President Trump or any other senior officials aboard the flight from Florida’s Palm Beach International Airport were made aware of the situation.
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