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Solar powered plane lands in New York City after tear found in wing

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
July 6, 2013 - 7:35 pm
 
Andre Borschberg, one of two pilots of the Solar Impulse plane is interviewed by a reporter on a ladder as he sits inside the cockpit of the solar powered plane in this June 17 photo taken at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va.

WASHINGTON — A solar-powered aircraft has completed a history-making cross-country flight, landing at New York’s JFK airport.

The Solar Impulse flew out of Dulles International Airport in Washington a little before 5 a.m. Saturday en route to New York City and landed shortly after 11 p.m. EDT

An unexpected tear was found on the left wing of the revolutionary plane earlier Saturday, forcing the aircraft to land three hours ahead of schedule. Officials said neither the pilot nor aircraft appeared to be in danger.

The accelerated schedule forced flight officials to scrap a planned fly-by past the Statue of Liberty and head straight to JFK.

The aircraft, powered by some 11,000 solar cells, soars to 30,000 feet while poking along at a top speed of 45 mph. The Solar Impulse left San Francisco in early May and has made stopovers in Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Dulles.The cross-country flight is a tuneup for a planned 2015 flight around the globe with an up-graded version of the plane.

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