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Flies prevent take-off of Zapatero's plane in Africa
Jun 24, 2009, 9:28 GMT
Madrid - A Spanish military plane carrying Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero failed to take off twice from the West African country of Togo after flies blocked its speed sensor, press reports said Wednesday.
Zapatero was returning home from a visit to Nigeria and Togo on Tuesday.
A swarm of flies entered the speed sensor of the Falcon 900 carrying Zapatero, Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and senior officials, prompting the pilot to stop the plane on the runway.
It then started again, but the sudden jamming on of the brakes had made a tyre go flat, and Zapatero had to wait two hours for another plane.
Another military plane transporting other members of the Spanish delegation returned to Lome one hour after take-off as the engine began losing oil.
Zapatero finally arrived in Madrid early Wednesday while the other part of the delegation was expected by midday.
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