CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV/Gray News) – Sources confirmed that Carolina Panthers players and coaches were on board the Delta plane that went off the tarmac at Charlotte Douglas International Airport early Friday morning.
The plane landed at about 2:40 a.m. on the runway closest to Billy Graham Parkway, near the Sullenberger Aviation Museum.
After landing, the plane was met by numerous rescue vehicles and towed up a staircase onto the runway at around 3:45 a.m. The passengers disembarked shortly afterwards.
Delta said the landing gear on the right side of the plane left the runway after a normal landing. No injuries were reported.
The airline said there were 188 passengers on board and that they were bussed to the terminal after disembarking. All passengers were escorted off the aircraft before the crew brought the plane back onto the runway and taxied away.
The Panthers returned from New England after losing 17-3 to the Patriots in their first preseason game on Thursday night.
Delta confirmed that the flight number was 8860. FlightAware recordings show that the flight came from Providence, Rhode Island, and that the aircraft was a Boeing 767-300.
Data from FlightAware shows that as of 5:45 a.m., 27 flights were delayed and six more were canceled in Charlotte Douglas. It is unclear whether Delta’s landing contributed to the delays, as After Tropical Cyclone Debby leaves the Carolinas on Friday morning.
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