CHARLOTTE, NC — The Delta flight carrying the Carolina Panthers home following Thursday night's 17-3 preseason loss to the New England Patriots veered off the taxiway at Charlotte Douglas Airport around 2:35 a.m. Friday morning.
According to airport and team spokesmen, no one was injured.
A team spokesman confirmed the Delta flight was the team's charter flight carrying players and staff members.
An airport spokesman said emergency crews responded to the crash site when the Delta plane skidded into mud while en route to Wilson Air Center. Lighting on the airfield and taxiway were fully operational.
Delta towed the aircraft out of the movement area shortly after 5:30 a.m. Crews repaired the area and the taxiway reopened around 6:30 a.m. It took about an hour for a bus to take the crew back to the air hub after the personnel were removed from the plane, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Delta issued a statement to news outlets saying: “The right main landing gear of Delta 8860 left the taxiway at Charlotte Douglas International Airport following a normal arrival. There were no reported injuries among the 188 customers who are deplaning and being bused to the terminal. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”
