MANCHESTER, N.H. — Air Force Two, with Vice President Mike Pence aboard, had to return to a New Hampshire airport after the plane hit a bird, according to several media outlets Tuesday.
The vice president was leaving the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport when the bird apparently hit the jet’s engine during its departure, according to CNN and The Associated Press.
Pence was not hurt. The plane returned to the airport out of “an abundance of caution," the White House said.
Reporters traveling with Vice President Pence were just told Air Force Two turned around after taking off from New Hampshire because of an issue with the plane’s engine. Pence and staff are now taking a cargo plane back to Washington, per @DaniellaMicaela.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) September 22, 2020
WH official tells me Air Force Two hit a bird and they returned out of an abundance of caution. https://t.co/OWMKNfjrNH
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) September 22, 2020
Pence and his staff returned to Washington in a cargo plane, according to a White House pool reporter.
Pence was heading back to the nation’s capital from a campaign event at an airport hangar in nearby Gilford, according to the AP.
A White House official confirms to me that “upon takeoff, Air Force Two struck a bird. Out of abundance of caution, Air Force 2 returned safely back to Manchester.”
— Tamara Keith (@tamarakeithNPR) September 22, 2020
Officials at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport said the airport was not affected by Air Force Two’s return to the airfield and remained fully operational.
Earlier this evening Air Force 2 experienced a possible bird strike shortly after departure. Flight crew contacted the tower & returned to MHT safely. MHT rescue/firefighting were at staging areas per our response protocols. No impact to the airfield, we remain in full operation
— Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (@flymanchester) September 23, 2020
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