MELISSA BLOCK, host: We have one last bit of news from the campaign trail, or rather the campaign skies. You may remember that last month, a plane carrying Barack Obama had to make an unscheduled landing in St. Louis.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: After takeoff from Chicago, the plane had descended rapidly. Obama and the others on board were told there was a minor problem controlling the plane's up and down movements.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: At the time, the FAA said the pilot did not declare an emergency. Well, last night ABC News broadcast audio of the pilot talking with the St. Louis approach control. The recordings make clear the situation was more urgent than the FAA originally described.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: Unidentified Man #1 (Pilot): St. Louis approach (unintelligible) 8663. At this time we'd like to declare this an emergency and also have CFR standing by in St. Louis.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: Unidentified Man #2: (Unintelligible) 8663, I will show that, and would you - do you have a preference on runways? Would you like Runway 3-0 Right or Runway 3-0 Left?</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: Unidentified Man #1: Well, which one is the longest?</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: Unidentified Man #2: (Unintelligible) 8663, Runway 3-0 Left.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: Unidentified Man #1: Okay, we'd like 3-0-Left. And just for informational purposes, we have Senator Obama on board the aircraft and his campaign.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: Unidentified Man #2: (Unintelligible) 8653, Roger that.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: Well, now the FAA acknowledges the pilot did declare an emergency, which means the plane was given priority, and the crash, fire and rescue equipment, that CFR the pilot requested, was standing by.
Last month, a plane carrying Democrat Sen. Barack Obama had to make an unscheduled landing in St. Louis. At the time, the Federal Aviation Administration said there was no emergency. But tapes first broadcast on Thursday night by ABC news say otherwise.