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“Michelle Obama's Plane Forced to Abort Landing Due to Mistake

First Lady's Plane Was Closer to a Military Jet Than It Should Have Been

BY LISA STARK, PIERRE THOMAS AND BEN FORER

April 19, 2011

First lady Michelle Obama's plane had to abort its landing at the Andrews Air Force base after it came closer to another military plane than it should have, officials said.

The first lady's plane didn't have as much "separation" from a millitary jet as it should have when approaching Andrews Air Force base, an administration source said. It was three miles away from the military jet, Federal Aviation Administration officials told ABC News, whereas the standard distance is five miles.

Air traffic controllers told the plane's pilot to do a standard go-around and circle for additional time to create the appropriate distance, which they did, and there was no panic caused by the incident.

The incident comes at a time when air traffic controllers are already under scrutiny.

There have been at least five reported incidents of air traffic controllers falling asleep on the job in the last two months, which has prompted negotiations between the government and the controllers' union to change the way controllers are scheduled to work.

The Incidents:

 Feb. 19: A controller in Knoxville, Tenn., went to sleep on the job during a midnight shift. Sources told ABC News that the controller made a bed on the floor of the control tower with couch pillows.

 March 23: A controller on his fourth consecutive overnight shift at Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport left the radio tower silent after apparently falling asleep. Two commercial airliners were forced to land on their own.

March 29: Two controllers at Preston Smith International Airport in Lubbock, Texas, did not hand off control of a departing aircraft to another control center and it took repeated attempts for them to be reached.”