Plane engine malfunction forces Bachelet to return to Chile and board G-4 jet to China instead

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SANTIAGO. -  A technical malfunction in one of the four engines on the plane headed for China forced President Michelle Bachelet to return to Chile just as she was poised to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

The presidential flight returned to Santiago just after 2:30 AM this morning from Uruguay. The plane had stopped in Uruguay for approximately one hour to refuel before heading to South Africa, where it would stop again for refueling.

After flying over the Atlantic Ocean for 25 minutes, the crew onboard the Boeing 707, also known as “The Eagle”, informed the President of the engine malfunction and of their decision to return to Chile for safety reasons.

President Bachelet, who had been flying with her daughter, Francisca Dávalos, landed in the 10th group of the Chilean Air Force Base. The Head of State then boarded a G-4 jet at 3:10 AM on her way to Sanya Island, in China, where she is scheduled to participate in the Boao Forum For Asia.