Gov. Andrew Cuomo's helicopter, en route back to New York City from upstate, made an emergency landing at Stewart Airport when it began filling with fumes, his office says.
Cuomo was flying back to New York City after delivering speeches upstate in Syracuse and Albany Wednesday, the final two stops of this week's series of addresses meant to outline his 2017 agenda.
Just before 4 p.m., the helicopter began filling with fumes that smelled like smoke, according to spokesman James Allen.
Cuomo and two aides were on board, along with security and the pilot. They landed safely at Stewart, about 60 miles north of Manhattan. No one was hurt, and everybody was safely transported back to the city.
3 days, 6 States of the State, 149 proposals, 9 hours of speeches, 1,260 miles & 1 emergency landing. Nothing can slow our progress.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 11, 2017
"The cause of this issue is being investigated and the helicopter is currently undergoing maintenance," Allen said.
The governor tweeted: "3 days, 6 States of the State, 149 proposals, 9 hours of speeches, 1,260 miles & 1 emergency landing. Nothing can slow our progress."
A similar thing happened to Andrew Cuomo's father, Mario, when he was governor in November 1988: a state-owned airplane carrying the elder Cuomo was forced to make an emergency landing at a small airport in Pennsylvania when it began filling with smoke, according to The New York Times.
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Described as a "troubled aircraft" that had been overhauled the year before at a cost of about $700,000, the crippled chopper in that case was guided by a network of air traffic controllers and another plane flying nearby from Pennsylvania.
Cuomo fils has been trying to purchase a $12.5 million state police helicopter that would also transport him around the state, citing an aging fleet. But state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli blocked the request for a non-bid purchase late last year.
