Butler team plane makes emergency landing, leaving players and staff shaken

The plane carrying Butler’s men’s basketball team back to Indianapolis from New York was forced to make an emergency landing in Pittsburgh after “cabin pressure issues” had players and coaches fearing for their lives.

Butler coach Chris Holtmann told ESPN that some coaches began texting family members when the cabin went completely dark, oxygen masks came down from overhead, and a flight attendant repeatedly told all passengers to put the masks on.

Holtmann also said he heard team members yelling and crying in the cabin, and that they used the oxygen masks for about 15 minutes.

The plane made a safe landing, and the team stayed the night in Pittsburgh. The program’s official Twitter account tweeted this at 12:30 a.m. ET last night:

According to ESPN, some players understandably wanted to take a bus back to Indianapolis rather than fly. Some had pain in their ears, according to Holtmann.

The team originally planned to fly back to Indianapolis Friday afternoon despite the players’ concerns, but according to a team spokesman, they will take a bus and expect to arrive back at Hinkle Fieldhouse around 6 or 6:30 p.m. The decision was made because “the bus option will actually get the team back to Indianapolis in a more timely fashion,” according to the spokesman.

Butler was returning from a game at St. John’s, which it lost 76-73. The Bulldogs’ next game is Sunday at home against Providence.

UPDATE: Butler returned home safely Friday evening:

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