Plane Carrying Tony Blair Overshoots Miami Runway

[Gman]

Dec 26, 2006 7:47 pm US/Eastern
Plane Carrying Tony Blair Overshoots Miami Runway

(CBS) MIAMI British Prime Minister Tony Blair was confirmed to be aboard the British Airways flight that overshot the runway at Miami International Airport Tuesday evening.

Flight 209, carrying 343 passengers and crew onboard luckily had no injuries. The plane did not sustain any damage, but some runway lights were broken by the plane. The plane was making an arrival from London’s Heathrow Airport, with Blair traveling in first class.


http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_360194926.html

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

1. Yikes.

MKJ

[lonestarnot]

2. Yeah, and I bet he crapped his pants. Wonder if his pilot was fucking with his nerves.

[originalpckelly]

14. I was unaware Poodles wore pants.

Very odd.

[Octafish]

18. They wear poodle panties.

Zappa described the phenomenon in "Cheepnis" from the "Live at the Roxy and Elsewhere" album.

[lonestarnot]

26. How cute! Do you have any BIG ones?

[saigon68]

28. Looks like a "Bare" ass on this dog

[dipsydoodle]

29. Not sure if you're aware or not

in the original painting, of which I saw a copy two weeks ago, Nipper is actually sitting on his master's coffin ! Makes me wonder if you're tempting fate. :rofl:

[saigon68]

32. Thanks I did not know that

It makes sense now

[NYC]

3. I guess I hadn't thought about it before.

Blair does not have the equivalent of Air Force One.

[Richard D]

4. Interesting that . . .

. . . Blair flies on a commercial airline.

[cal04]

5. Jet carrying Tony Blair slides off runway at MIA

(snip)
No one was injured when the Boeing 747-400 jet arriving from London slid off the runway after landing about 6:15 p.m., airport spokesman Marc Henderson said.

(snip)
Blair was aboard the plane with his immediate family, the U.S. Secret Service confirmed. The Blairs, flying first class, were coming for a vacation in the Miami area, agency spokesman Darrin Blackford said.

The Secret Service did not have any agents on the plane, but the agency is providing protection for the British government leader and his family during their South Florida visit.

The plane, which was not damaged, will soon return to a terminal and passengers will be allowed to deplane, Henderson said.


http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16323533.htm

[Xipe Totec]

6. August 2, 1985: Philip “Don” Estridge

Celebrities Who Died in Airplane Crashes and Other Incidents:

http://www.celebratetoday.com/airceleb.html

August 2, 1985: Philip “Don” Estridge and his wife Mary Ann were among 137 people who were killed when a Delta Air Lines Lockheed L-1011 jumbo jet crash-landed as a result of windshear at the Dallas, Texas airport. 27 people, however, survived the crash. Estridge headed up the skunk works that launched the IBM-PC in 1981. He was responsible for deciding that the PC would be made from off-the-shelf parts and that the design specifications would be made public, thus paving the way for PC clones and the current dominance of the Microsoft-Intel computers built upon that base.

I often wonder whether Microsoft would even exist, if Estridge had not died that day...

[Purveyor]

7. He has been on a couple of flights that got hit by lightning in the past also.

With his flying luck, don't think I'd care to be on a plane with him...

[daleo]

10. I thought about the lightning strike too

I think he was on his way to Washington, to discuss Iraq invasion plans with Bush.

[BayCityProgressive]

13. see

even Mother Nature hates him.

[IndianaGreen]

20. Gawd is calling Blair to his eternal damnation

Blair should hang alongside Bush and Saddam, after a fair trial and a proper conviction (which Saddam never got).

[Joanne98]

8. Hahahaha!!!!!!!!

[Eugene]

9. From BBC: "the jet... did not leave the concrete surface..."

Last Updated: Wednesday, 27 December 2006, 01:45 GMT

Blair BA flight overshoots runway

-snip-

The plane was not damaged and passengers were allowed to disembark at the terminal.

Airport spokesman Marc Henderson said the jet hit several airfield lights on landing
but did not leave the concrete surface and was returned to the terminal gate under
its own power.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6211307.stm

[nashville_brook]

11. wow -- Blair travels on a passenger jet?

that's kinda wild.

[DoYouEverWonder]

15. You would think being PM of England

would mean you get to travel by private jet at least.

I mean just the security issues alone must be a nightmare for the people who are suppose to protect his butt. More proof that the 'war on terra' is a bunch of bull.

[nashville_brook]

21. that's exactly what i was thinking...

[dipsydoodle]

25. There would be a fuss here

if we were expected to pay for his family holidays. After all - he's just another public servant in a temporary job. More temporary the better as far as I'm concerned. Shame he didn't go "economy" in one of these which wouldn't have reached FL anyway:

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[A Simple Game]

16. So is he going to hang out with Jeb?

And if so does george know about it?

[flordehinojos]

17. the blairs and the jebs, will they mozy on to crawford?

[Placebo]

19. THIS is why the American president has his own damn plane(s).

And to think whenever articles about Air Force One pop up around here tons of people are like, "Why can't he just fly commercial like other world leaders do?!?!"

Ha!

[greccogirl]

22. Oh Lord good conspiracy here - let's see - who planted

the skidder?

[ramapo]

23. No RAF 1 for the PM?

Interesting that the most powerful in the British government fly with the commoners. Maybe Bush should try flying Continental???

[geomon666]

24. MIA has two main runways that are over 10,000 feet long.

How the hell do you overshoot that?

[Eugene]

27. Reuters: Airline blames poor lighting for Blair plane scare

Airline blames poor lighting for Blair plane scare

44 minutes ago

LONDON (Reuters) - British Airways blamed poor lighting at Miami airport for a safety
scare involving a jumbo jet carrying British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his family.

-snip-

A BA spokesman said the pilot landed exactly as he should have done but the turn-off
from the runway was not well lit.

"Apparently they're doing some resurfacing work and relighting, so the lighting was poor,"
said BA spokesman John Lampl.

-snip-

FAA spokesman Les Dorr said standard taxiway lighting was operational at the time of the
incident.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061227/wl_nm/plane_blair_dc

[damntexdem]

30. Well why were the Brits shooting at an American airport, anyway?

And whatever the reason, why aren't they better shots?

[ThsMchneKilsFascists]

31. So it turns out Blair was travelling to the US to vacation with Robin Gibb (BeeGees)

No, really. Plus the airline in question says the airport didn't have proper lighting on the runway. The airport says "Uh, yes we did."

Apparently they're doing some resurfacing work and relighting, so the lighting was poor,(John) Lampl (spokesman for British Airways) said.

But airport spokeswoman Lauren Stover said the lights were working fine.

There was absolutely no construction on the runway, Stover said.

Blair was travelling to Miami to stay with singer Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees, according to Gibb's co-manager John Campbell.

"It's a private holiday and it's a private arrangement," Campbell said. "They are friends."

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2006/12/27/blair-plane.html