By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Nov 2 (Reuters) – US Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, asked government agencies on Monday to offer a “full accounting” of the decision to allow a White House flyover by the US presidential airplane as part of a children’s Halloween party last week.
Duckworth, the top Democrat on the subcommittee overseeing the Federal Aviation Administration, said flight-tracking data show the aircraft made two passes on Thursday over the White House between roughly 400 and 1,000 feet (122 to 305 meters) and close to the top of the Washington Monument. She called it a “dangerous stunt” and said the flyover was below the minimum safe altitude required by the FAA.
The flyover forced a temporary halt to traffic at Reagan Washington National Airport and drew concerns from city lawmakers that residents, officials and the airport received only 15 minutes’ notice.
She asked the FAA, Pentagon and White House Office of Management and Budget to respond to detailed questions about the cost and limited public notice.
She asked the Pentagon if the flight was approved for training and if so, what objective it achieved. Duckworth asked FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford when the agency was notified and what minimum altitude it authorized.
The Pentagon and FAA said they would respond directly to Duckworth. The FAA said the flight was coordinated with the agency.
The White House and Office of Management and Budget did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The plane is designated Air Force One when President Donald Trump is on board.
The District of Columbia city council said the limited notice of the flyover “startled many, including us.”
Airline officials said they had less than an hour’s notice.
Some people flying to Washington reported their planes were forced to circle or that they faced delays due to the flyover. FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, said 26% of departing flights and 17% of arriving flights were delayed on Thursday — or 202 in total. Most of those delays were tied to the airport disruption.
Trump is a fan of Air Force One flyovers and they often happen at sporting events he is attending.
(Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Franklin Paul and Rod Nickel)
