Making a statement on the B-52 engine incident, the secretary of the US Air Force Deborah Lee James declared that the aircraft did not need an immediate engine replacement and thus, taking an action on fleet basis was unnecessary. On 4 January, a B-52 dropped one of its eight engines during a training flight, however returned to its base without any complications. By the time, James said that the investigation would deepen when the engine was found and only then they would decide whether the entire B-52 fleet needed new engines. During the first statement made after the incident, it was revealed that the missing engine was found. The Air Force Secretary said that the budgetary issues must be taken into account when deciding replacement of the engines and although USAF would not put this issue on its agenda immediately, it will not ignore the current situation. Adding that the subject of engine replacement did not come up direcly after the incident but the service had been considering acquisition of 'more efficient and economic' engines.