MELBOURNE, Fla. – Two small private aircraft violated restricted airspace Saturday over two of President Bush’s campaign rallies, authorities said. In both incidents, fighter jets escorted the planes to nearby airfields. A small aircraft flew too close to Bush’s rally at Ty Cobb Field in Lakeland and was led to Gilbert Field, a Secret Service spokesman said. Later, in Melbourne, an F-15 escorted a plane to Merritt Island Airport, officials said. Reporters covering Bush’s event at Space Coast Stadium in Melbourne said the jets drowned out Bush’s words at one point. The activity in the sky repeatedly distracted the crowd from Bush’s speech.
Glitches delay storm-damage repairs
Florida residents with roof damage caused by the four hurricanes that struck the state this year may have a very long wait before someone can start work on their property, an Escambia County official said. Many out-of-state roofers who arrived after Hurricane Ivan struck in September are finding they can’t operate in Florida because of the high cost of workers’ compensation insurance. Factor in a serious shortage of shingles, and homeowners may have to wait a couple of years to have roof repairs done, the official said.
Utah: Inmate airliner damaged
A Boeing 727 loaded with 68 federal prisoners tipped over on a wing after mechanics jacked up a set of wheels to replace a worn tire at the airport. No one was injured. The airliner was making a weekly stop in Salt Lake City Friday to pick up federal prisoners and drop others off when mechanics began working on the plane. An airport spokeswoman said the plane was jacked up on asphalt not strong enough to handle the weight of a fully fueled Boeing 727.
Two plumbers who were working in a 14-foot-deep sewer trench apparently suffocated after a wall collapsed on top of them, authorities said. The men were trapped for about 30 minutes and died before rescuers in Alton could reach them, officials said. The men tried to escape before the cave-in, a witness said. Preliminary findings indicate the men died of asphyxiation from suffocation, officials said.
Pennsylvania: Hiking trail bombed
Officials are investigating why a military jet accidentally dropped a 25-pound practice bomb on a hiking trail a mile from its intended target. No one was injured when the grapefruit-sized, cast-iron bomb fell on the trail Oct. 13 during a training mission for a pair of A-10 Thunderbolts. The bomb created a crater about 6 inches wide in the trail along an abandoned rail line in Schuylkill County. At least one hiker was close enough to hear the thud.
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