Plane with Panthers Players Slides Off Runway – The Panthers had a rough night on and off the field. A Delta charter plane carrying 188 people onboard landed normally Friday morning at Charlotte’s Douglas International Airport before a portion of the aircraft went off the taxiway, the airline confirmed. The plane was carrying Carolina Panthers players and staff, the team confirmed to The Charlotte Observer.
“The right main gear of Delta 8860 exited the taxiway” just before 3 a.m. ET Friday following a normal landing, Delta told The Charlotte Observer. The taxiway is the part of the airport that planes travel on between the runway and the gate, and the gear that went off the taxiway included tires of the 767-300 aircraft.
Embed from Getty ImagesEmergency crews responded quickly to the incident to check the plane, which “left the pavement while taxiing to Wilson Air Center,” Charlotte Douglas said in a statement to the Observer. Airfield lighting and the taxiway were working at full capacity.
Delta towed the aircraft away from the area shortly after 5:30 a.m., the airport said. Crews did the necessary repairs and the taxiway was functional and was able reopen at approximately 6:30 a.m.
Delta said luckily there were no injuries to any of the 188 passengers, who were bused to the terminal after they exited the plane.
The aircraft had gotten stuck in the mud, WBTV reported. Delta said the plane was moved back onto the taxiway after the passengers got off.
Delta flight 8860 originally departed Providence Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport at 12:45 a.m. Friday, an hour late, reported FlightAware, an online website reporting and providing information in real-time. That was one of 34 flights delayed by 7:30 a.m. at the airport. It landed at CLT at 2:42 a.m., some 46 minutes behind schedule FlightAware reported.
The Panthers played a preseason game Thursday night against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium right outside of Boston. When it rains, it pours. The Panther lost that game 17-3.
The incident took place a day after Tropical Storm Debby dumped a record rainfall on Charlotte. Charlotte’s airport absorbed 4.09 inches of rain, shattering the previous record of 1.37 inches for August 8 set way back in 1928, the National Weather Service said.
