Procter & Gamble jet with CEO aboard lands safely in Pennsylvania after equipment warning

P&G plane with CEO lands safely after warning

CINCINNATI — A Procter & Gamble Co. corporate jet with the CEO aboard landed safely Friday at a Pennsylvania airport after a warning sensor indicated a possible problem with landing gear.

Company spokeswoman Robyn Schroeder said all 13 people aboard were fine. They included a three-person crew and 10 passengers, including Bob McDonald, chairman and CEO of the Cincinnati-based consumer products maker.

P&G said the Gulfstream IV’s crew members got the warning Friday morning while making their landing approach. They then made several passes over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport to allow controllers on the ground to confirm that the landing gear had deployed correctly.

Nearly two dozen fire and other emergency vehicles from two counties had moved in after the pilot reported the problem just before 9 a.m. The plane finally landed at about 9:35.

After it was safely on the ground, McDonald, a former Army captain, played down the incident.

“I used to be in the military, so it’s no big deal,” he told reporters at the airport.

The group went on to visit a P&G plant in the area.

Schroeder said a replacement aircraft was sent to return them to Cincinnati.