WASHINGTON – A helicopter carrying three senior U.S. senators made an emergency landing in Afghanistan because of a snowstorm, but the senators are OK, spokesmen for the senators said Thursday.
Sens. John Kerry, Joseph Biden and Chuck Hagel were aboard the aircraft, according to Jon Summers, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. The lawmakers are on a trip this week that includes stops in India, Turkey and Pakistan.
Mike Buttry, a spokesman for Hagel, said that the landing appeared to be due to a minor equipment problem, and the three already were on their next leg of their trip, heading to Turkey.
After making the landing, the senators and their delegation returned to Bagram Air Base in a motor convoy.
"After several hours, the senators were evacuated by American troops and returned overland to Bagram Air Base, and left for their next scheduled stop in Ankara, Turkey," the Kerry statement said. "Sen. Kerry thanks the American troops, who were terrific as always and who continue to do an incredible job in Afghanistan."
Kerry and Biden are Democrats from Massachusetts and Delaware, respectively, and the Republican Hagel is from Nebraska.
FOX News' Kim Agle and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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