BAGHDAD, March 17 (UPI) -- A plane carrying Australian Prime Minister John Howard was forced to land outside of Baghdad Saturday after mysteriously filling with smoke.
Filled with 30 passengers and the prime minister, the C130 Hercules filled with smoke shortly after taking off Saturday and immediately engaged in an emergency landing outside the Iraqi capital, the Melbourne Herald Sun said.
The aircraft had departed a Talil air base and was heading to Baghdad when the incident occurred.
Howard was unhurt during the emergency landing and promptly boarded a second flight to Baghdad.
Upon arriving in Baghdad, the Australian leader boarded a military helicopter and was taken to a safe height above the city as a safety precaution.
Howard was in Iraq as part of his first visit to area war zones and his travel plans have remained highly secretive to ensure his safety, the paper said.
