Air Force Two was in a minor accident this week while Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill were aboard, but there were no injuries, according to press reports. The incident occurred Wednesday as Air Force Two taxied down the runway at the Francis S. Gabreski Airport on Long Island, N.Y., prior to takeoff. The aircraft’s powerful engine exhaust lifted up a parked, unoccupied Piper Cub—a small private plane—damaging the Piper Cub’s left wing. Officials with the 89th Airlift Wing at JB Andrews, Md., said they are investigating the incident. It’s not clear who will be held responsible for damages or how much they will cost. The Piper Cub is owned by an aerial media company. (See AFP report and New York Daily News report)
Lawmakers are growing impatient for an overdue fighter recapitalization study from the Air Force, and members say they'll demand more detailed justifications for future aircraft retirements.