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US President Obama safely returns to Washington after switching plane

Returning from Connecticut and Pennsylvania where he supported his fellow Democrats ahead of the November 4 elections to Congress, Obama had to transfer to a backup plane due to a mechanical problem

© EPA/ИТАР-ТАСС

WASHINGTON, November 3. /TASS/. US President Barack Obama has returned safely to Washington after a trip during which he had to switch to a different plane, the journalists accompanying the leader said.

Obama spent Sunday in the states of Connecticut and Pennsylvania where he supported his fellow Democrats ahead of the November 4 elections to the Congress.

In Philadelphia, Obama had to switch to another plane after a mechanical problem, the White House said.

"While in Philadelphia, we have transferred to a backup airplane due to a minor mechanical problem with one of the aircraft's flaps," White House official spokesman Eric Schultz said. "This switch to a backup C-32 will not affect our schedule."

Boeing C-32 is a multi-purpose transport plane built on the basis of Boeing -757-200. The plane is used to carry most important persons, including the president and his entourage.

Since 1998, only four of these planes have been manufactured. According to US rules, any plane carrying the US leader is Air Force One.

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Barack Obama United States

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