Falcon limps home

THE Presidential Falcon 900B aircraft arrived home yesterday afternoon from Sal in Cape Verde, where it had been grounded since Sunday after one of its engines failed.

The plane had been carrying President Hifikepunye Pohamba and other Government officials returning from the UN General Assembly at the time. It landed in Sal for refuelling, but shortly after taking off again one of its three engines failed.A well-placed source said yesterday that the Falcon, using two of its three engines, had been flown from Cape Verde yesterday to Hosea Kutako Airport outside Windhoek, where it will be examined.Sources said it was planned to get a replacement engine from South Africa.When the Falcon’s engine failed, Pohamba’s staff phoned home to instruct Air Namibia to send its Boeing 737-200 to collect them, which it duly did.However, on the return flight, problems arose with one of the Boeing’s engines and the delegation was forced to land again – this time in Accra, Ghana.The delegation was later helped by Ghanaian President John Kuffour, who lent them a Fokker 28 to bring them home on Tuesday evening.Sources said the Falcon was a reliable plane but it was preferable to fly with three engines and not two for safety reasons.It landed in Sal for refuelling, but shortly after taking off again one of its three engines failed.A well-placed source said yesterday that the Falcon, using two of its three engines, had been flown from Cape Verde yesterday to Hosea Kutako Airport outside Windhoek, where it will be examined.Sources said it was planned to get a replacement engine from South Africa.When the Falcon’s engine failed, Pohamba’s staff phoned home to instruct Air Namibia to send its Boeing 737-200 to collect them, which it duly did.However, on the return flight, problems arose with one of the Boeing’s engines and the delegation was forced to land again – this time in Accra, Ghana.The delegation was later helped by Ghanaian President John Kuffour, who lent them a Fokker 28 to bring them home on Tuesday evening.Sources said the Falcon was a reliable plane but it was preferable to fly with three engines and not two for safety reasons.