The Carolina Panthers, a professional football team, experienced an unexpected setback following their preseason game against the New England Patriots in Foxborough. The team’s return flight to North Carolina ended abruptly when their plane veered off the taxiway at Charlotte Douglas International Airport early Friday morning, according to a league source.
The plane, carrying Panthers players and staff, was en route to the terminal when it deviated from the taxiway and became immobile. This necessitated the passengers to disembark via stairs and be shuttled to the terminal. The airport authorities confirmed that the airfield lighting and the taxiway were fully functional at the time of the incident.
The cause of the incident remains unclear. However, the region had been experiencing heavy rainfall and power outages due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby earlier in the day. It is yet to be determined if these weather conditions played a role in the incident.
The Panthers organization confirmed on Friday that their team charter was involved in the incident. They assured that all coaches, staff, and players were on the plane and that there were no injuries.
Delta Airlines, the carrier of the flight, issued a statement confirming that there were 188 passengers on board when the right main gear of the plane exited the taxiway. The airline’s spokesperson reported no injuries and stated that all passengers were safely transported to the terminal by bus. However, the airline did not explicitly mention the Panthers as part of the passenger count.
The plane was later towed away from the scene. Panthers safety Xavier Woods humorously responded to a social media post about the incident, asking, “Vouchers??”
The Panthers were returning from a preseason game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., where they suffered a 17-3 loss.