Congressmen Traveling To Sign Aviation Safety Bill Forced To Make Emergency Landing
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Last Updated: July 24, 2008
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A Continental Airlines
flight carrying former presidential candidate Ron Paul and six other members of
Congress to Washington (DC) made an emergency landing in New Orleans on
Tuesday after a loss in cabin pressure.

In an odd coincidence, the seven congressmen
were trying to get back in time for a Tuesday night vote on an aviation safety
bill when the flight landed without incident, a spokesman for one of the
representatives said. No injuries were reported among the 128 crew and
passengers.
Also on the flight were Reps. Paul, Ted
Poe, John Carter, Solomon P. Ortiz, Ciro Rodriguez, and Henry Cuellar, Kincaid
said. The group was trying to make a vote on the Aviation Safety Enhancement
Act.
An FAA spokesman said
Flight 458 from Houston initiated a rapid descent to bring the plane to an
altitude below where adding oxygen was necessary and was given priority to land
at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
The flight is frequently used by members of the Texas delegation who have
returned home for the weekend. The 1:05 p.m. flight is the latest one that
allows them to get back to Washington in time for 6:30 p.m. votes.
The emergency landing was the third
time in two days a plane was diverted over cabin pressure issues. A US Airways
flight and a Northwest Airlines flight were diverted to airports in Kentucky and
Wisconsin on Monday over cabin pressure issues.
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