Kentucky State Police spends $8 million for new plane to transport governor, officials

Kentucky State Police purchased a new plane in July at a cost of $8 million, which they say is needed because the older plane used to transport the governor and other state officials is dangerously broken down and no longer safe to fly.

The Beechcraft King Air 200 that KSP has owned for more than 20 years has been grounded due to numerous malfunctions and breakdowns, according to a May 22 legal memo sent to KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett.

The 11-passenger plane has been used to transport governors, state officials and KSP missions for decades. State records show that Gov. Andy Beshear took trips on the now-grounded aircraft on 187 days during his two terms, but not once since April 18.

State flight records show a KSP plane with a new identifying tail number was used to transport executive branch officials on eight days in September — seven of those flights taking Beshear, and another flying Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman.

KSP spokeswoman Sherry Bray confirmed to Kentucky Public Radio in an email that because the old King Air has been grounded — as well as another Learjet owned by KSP — the agency purchased a Super King Air 300 to replace them both. She said the total cost was $8 million, “which included the aircraft, inspection, movement and training for pilots.”

“Kentucky State Police is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all Kentuckians and to achieve this mission the agency must have access to critical resources and reliable equipment that protects both the citizens they serve and the personnel serving the commonwealth,” Bray wrote.

Bray added that KSP pilots “expressed concerns with King Air 200, which was over 50 years old, and stated they did not feel it was safe to fly.”

Bray has not yet answered who the new King Air plane was purchased from and the exact cost of the plane. Federal Aviation Administration records show it was manufactured in 2021.

KSP memo details numerous malfunctions in 53-year old plane

The five-page May 22 memo from KSP attorney Shawna Kincer to Commissioner Burnett details numerous problems with the old King Air plane that were brought to her attention by KSP pilots.

“It is our recommendation that the Commonwealth’s 1971 Beechcraft King Air be permanently grounded and removed from circulation,” Kincer wrote.

Noting that the aircraft is “currently the oldest known active operating King Air BE200” in the country, Kincer wrote that “it has increasingly become unreliable, and dangerous, as numerous malfunctions have occurred.”

Among the more recent problems found in inspections were corrosion found in the structure components that hold both wings to the fuselage. One of the most common problems in recent years has been leaking windows in the cockpit, which has caused the electrical panel to short out and fuel gauges to be inoperable. Other issues include environmental systems malfunctions and pilot seats suddenly dropping mid-flight.

The memo also noted that the unreliability of the aircraft had limited its availability and caused several missions to be delayed or canceled. The King Air was down for repairs for a period of four months in 2023, and earlier this year the crew and passengers were stranded in Florida for two days due to the window leak shorting out the electrical panel, delaying their prisoner pick up mission.

In one case, Gov. Beshear’s flight back from Washington D.C. was impacted by the leaking windows causing the fuel indicators to malfunction. Kincer wrote that “using towels and hairdryers, the wiring and circuit breakers were dried out enough to get 1 indicator working, which made the aircraft legal for flight.”

Kincer cited three experienced KSP pilots saying “they do not feel it is safe (to) fly.”

Bray and the memo both noted the old King Air was used for a number of purposes, including transporting prisoners, KSP personnel to crime scenes, officials during natural disasters, Honor Guards to funerals and executive branch officials like cabinet secretaries, the governor, lieutenant governor and their family. It was also used to support “the Cabinet for Economic Development in its mission to bring business to the Commonwealth.”

According to a 2019 report by The Courier Journal , the KSP’s old King Air and the already-grounded Learjet were often out of service and very costly to repair. In 2018 and 2019, the cost of maintenance, upgrades and repairs for the two planes totaled $872,000.

Unlike the King Air, the Learjet has now been out of service for many years. The aircraft was used to transport former Gov. Matt Bevin on 97 days during his term in office, but has not been used by any executive branch officials since Beshear took office in December 2019.

Captain Brian Austin, the commander of the KSP aircraft branch in Frankfort, told Kentucky Public Radio that neither the grounded King Air or Learjet can be sold by the state, as they were obtained as part of a military surplus program and “were essentially on loan to us.”

Bray told Kentucky Public Radio that KSP has requested funds in the past two budget cycles to replace the King Air, but the biennial budgets passed by the Kentucky General Assembly did not include that funding.

In 2022, KSP requested $6 million to replace the King Air, noting it was outdated and due for a $350,000 engine replacement. In 2024, the agency requested $28 million to replace the King Air, Learjet and an old helicopter, noting their replacement “will prevent further costly investments in maintaining” the aircraft.

Without this funding — and “due to the safety concerns and the pilots not feeling safe to fly” — Bray said the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet requested approval from the Finance and Administration Cabinet for an “Emergency Repair, Maintenance or Replacement project” to acquire the new King Air plane.

Beshear put new plane to use in September

Beshear had increasingly been using a KSP helicopter to travel the state over the summer while the old King Air was grounded, as well as another plane owned by the Transportation Cabinet. He also has increasingly used private aircraft to travel to other states this year, for the purpose of attending political fundraisers, the Democratic National Convention and political rallies in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.

State flight records show Beshear flew aboard the new King Air plane for the first time on Sept. 9, then took trips on the plane on six other days that month.

Four of these flights were within the state, with their purposes detailed in official press releases, such as groundbreakings, speeches, ceremonial check presentations and a briefing on the I-75 shooting.

The purpose of two trips Beshear took on the new plane to Chicago and New York City that month were not detailed in press releases, but were referred to in posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Flight records show Beshear, his son and Lexington attorney Jonathan Rabinowitz flew aboard the new King Air to Chicago on Sept. 20, and all returned on the plane the following day. Beshear posted a photo of himself and his son on Sept. 21 on the grass at Soldier Field in Chicago, saying they were there to cheer on the Kentucky State University football team.

Crystal Staley, the governor’s spokesperson, said in an email that Beshear also spoke on the field before the game with the city’s mayor and Illinois’ governor, in addition to joining Rev. Jesse Jackson Jr. for an award presentation.

Beshear and his chief of staff La Tasha Buckner flew aboard the new King Air to New York City on Sept. 24. That same day, Beshear posted a photo of himself on stage at a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, saying he was there to share Kentucky’s “story of success” in the electric vehicle market

This story has been updated to include additional details about Beshear’s travel and KSP budget requests.

State government and politics reporting is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.