Praise for Nike corporate pilots

Earlier today a Gulfstream GV aircraft made an emergency landing at Hillsboro, Oregon. The plane, owned by NIKE, Inc. experienced a problem with its landing gear just after take-off. The aircraft, which had been headed to Toronto, orbited the Portland area for several hours while it burned off fuel and executed maneuvers that successfully repositioned the stuck gear.

The Nike President and CEO, William Perez, was one of four passengers aboard the aircraft. After the plane successfully landed back at Hillsboro, Mr. Perez praised the crew.

"The pilots -- unbelievable, unbelievable, what they did for us," Perez said afterward. "They were very calm, collected and professional, told us every maneuver they were going to try."

Several TV channels carried live coverage of the incident.

Allen Kenitzer, an FAA spokesman, said the plane crew took steps to burn off fuel and talked with the Gulfstream company to get advice on freeing the landing gear.

"The pilot is the ultimate authority in determining what to do with that airplane," Kenitzer said.

Congratulations to the crew of three for an outstanding job!