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President Donald J. Trump participates in the signing ceremony of a decision memo and letter transmitting ideas on air traffic control reform to Congress, beside US Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on June 5.(Photo: MICHAEL REYNOLDS, EPA)

WASHINGTON Vice President Pence hadapersonal reason for applauding President Trumps push on Monday to privatize the nation's air traffic control system.

As I can attest from first-hand experience, having more precise landings in America is a good thing, Pence said before introducing Trump for his East Room announcement.

Pence was referring to a campaign trip last October whenhis charter flight skidded off the runway at New York's LaGuardiaAirport.

My career just ended, one of the planes pilots said after the rough landing, according to a transcript of the cockpit voice recording released last week by federal investigators.

The board hasnt determined what caused the plane to touch down more than 4,000 feet down the runway before it skidded off the end of the runway.

The captain said put it down, put it down as the first officer flew the Boeing 737-700 charter flight by EasternAir Lines,according to a report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Both pilots applied maximum brakes as they approached the end of the runway in a rainstorm, according to the report. But the plane came to rest 200 feet beyond the runway after skidding onto pavement that is meant to crumble and slow the wheels down like sand for a runaway truck.

None of the nine crew members or 39 passengers,includingPence, wasinjured in the incident. There wasn't an emergency evacuation because there was no fire.Pence, who was the governor of Indiana at the time, tweeted at the time he was grateful nobody was hurt.

The administration is kicking off a week focusing on infrastructure with Trumps long-shot plan to put the nations air traffic control system in private hands.The plan calls for creatinga private, nonprofit corporation,with airlines contributing fees rather than the taxes they now pay the government to cover the approximately $10 billion annual cost for air-traffic control.

Airlines hope the change would bring more predictable funding than provided by annual spending fights in Congress that have led to furloughs and shutdowns in recent years. Backers of the proposal also contend that a private corporation would modernize equipment and training faster than the Federal Aviation Administration. Government watchdogs have criticized FAA for slow progress on shifting controllers from directing planes by ground-based radar to satellite-based GPS.

But the proposal has critics among some airlines, general-aviation groups and in Congress.

Republican Rep. Todd Rokita of Indiana, a general aviation pilot who serves on the House Transportation Committee, has said privatizing the air traffic control system is trying to solve a problem when we dont think really one exists.

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Vice President Pence has reasons for wanting safer flights - USA TODAY