Repairs to Planes Will Mean Delay in Boy’s Flight

BOSTON — Tony Aliengena’s flight around the world will be delayed here until at least Tuesday so that equipment malfunctions aboard both his plane and a chase plane can be repaired, coordinators of the flight said Sunday.

The autopilot on 11-year-old Tony’s single-engine Cessna Centurion malfunctioned during the 2 1/2-hour flight Saturday from Washington to Boston.

Also, a malfunction in the cabin pressurization system of a twin-engine chase plane filled that aircraft with smoke and forced pilot Lance Allyn to land after takeoff Saturday from Washington National Airport.

The Cessna was to be repaired today at Lawrence Airport outside Boston, where Tony landed Saturday to a homecoming crowd of family and supporters. Tony’s parents, Gary and Susan, are originally from Massachusetts and have family here.

The chase plane, a Beechcraft King Air, remained at Washington National Airport on Sunday as Allyn awaited a new part to be installed today.

Allyn said that the part, a supercharger for the cabin pressurization system, can be installed in about four hours and that the plane can be ready to fly in another four hours. Allyn said that if he can find the part by early today, he hopes to fly out of Washington later in the afternoon and rejoin Tony’s entourage, which is staying in suburban Lawrence.

Should Be Ready Tuesday

Guy Murrel, coordinator of Tony’s Friendship Flight ‘89, said that both planes should be ready Tuesday for the next leg of the flight from Boston to Sept-Iles, Canada. Murrel today was scheduled to leave the entourage and fly to Oslo, Norway, to prepare for Tony’s expected arrival there on Saturday.

Allyn, an orthopedic surgeon who is piloting one of two chase planes for Tony’s trip, said Sunday that the smoke problem was caused when the supercharger, which pressurizes the cabin, broke and began pumping oily smoke into his aircraft.

The smoke became so thick, moments after takeoff from National Airport, that the five passengers had to apply clothing to their mouths in order to breathe and the pilot had to press his face to a vent window to see.

No one was seriously injured, although some of the passengers complained of light dizziness from the smoke inhalation.