Celebrity whale's plane damaged on landing

The plane that took Keiko to Iceland has damaged its landing gear

September 18, 1998

Web posted at: 10:35 p.m. EDT (0235 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Air Force plane that flew the movie-star whale Keiko on his journey toward freedom suffered serious damage to its landing gear when it touched down in Iceland with the heavyweight celebrity on board.

The damage occurred on the right front landing gear of the C-17 transport plane, which the Air Force has dubbed the WTV, or "Whale Transport Vehicle."

The pilots "felt a problem on landing," said Air Force spokesman Chuck Wynn. "We don't know what happened, but the plane is broke."

The plane is designed to carry up to 170,000 pounds of cargo, and Keiko weighed in at only 35,000 to 40,000 pounds.

Keiko

The $180 million airplane has been flown to Kelly Air Force Base in Texas for inspection and repair by the plane's manufacturer, Boeing. Wynn told CNN that the new, top-of-the-line cargo plane "is still under warranty," so the damage bill should be paid by Boeing, and not the taxpayer.

Damage estimates range from $150,000 to more than $1 million.

The Air Force transported the killer whale from Oregon to Iceland earlier this month at the request of the "Free Willy/Keiko Foundation." The charismatic mammal was featured in two Hollywood motion pictures, "Free Willy" and "Free Willy II," and is now destined for freedom in real life, if he successfully undergoes rehabilitation for the ocean environment.