Plane Lost Engine At FL430

There were some frightening moments for Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and his family last week, as the business jet they were on experienced engine failure at 43,000 feet.

The governor (right), first lady Janet Huckabee, their daughter Sarah, staff member Chad Rockett, and a state trooper were also onboard the plane, which had climbed to pass over thunderstorms when suddenly, a noise came from the jet's right engine.

"We were flying over Tennessee, enjoying the flight, when suddenly a most horrible sound started coming from the airplane engine," Huckabee said in a speech to North Carolina Republicans Tuesday. "It was doing all sorts of funny things airplane engines are not supposed to do."

What's worse, said Huckabee, is that they had to descend through the thunderstorm in order to make an emergency landing in Tennessee. The governor said it felt like the plane was coming apart as the flight crew dove for the deck.

"Pilots had told me that the reason you have a twin engine plane is that in case one engine goes out the other engine will fly you to the crash site," said the governor. "Somehow it wasn't a very comforting thought."

Fortunately, the incident -- which the southern governor likened to "running over a great big possum in the road," ended with everyone safe on the ground... and after mechanics fixed the engine, everyone got back on the plane to continue the flight.

Huckabee wouldn't say who the plane's owner was, saying it wouldn't be fair to single out the aircraft's owner as "it wasn't the fault of the airplane."

Huckabee described the flight as "an adventure," the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

FMI: www.arkansas.gov/governor