Returning from his Thanksgiving trip to Iraq the President’s staff recounted a dramatic moment when their secret plans were nearly uncovered by a passing British Airlines pilot who spotted Air Force One.

"Did I just see Air Force One?" the pilot radioed, according to the White House. There was a pause. Then came the response from Air Force One: "Gulfstream 5" -- a much smaller aircraft.

As one of Bush's aides recounted, the BA pilot seemed to sense that he was in on a secret, and replied: "Oh."

The problem with this story: It looks like it never happened.

British Airways said on Monday that none of its pilots made contact with President Bush's plane during its secret flight to Baghdad, contradicting White House reports of a mid-air exchange that nearly prompted Bush to call off his trip.

Honor Verrier, a spokeswoman for British Airways in North America, said two BA aircraft were in the area at the time and neither radioed the president's plane to ask if it was Air Force One.

"We have spoken to the British Airways captains who were in the area at the time and neither made comments to Air Force One nor did they hear any other aircraft make the statement over the radio," Verrier said in response to a question from Reuters.

The White House had no immediate comment on the discrepancy.

This is not the first time the White House has been caught in an exaggeration involving Air Force One.