The Michigan Basketball Team Plane Skidded Off A Runway Due To High Winds

The Michigan basketball team is the No. 8 seed in the Big Ten Basketball Tournament that tipped off in Washington D.C. on Wednesday. The Wolverines don’t play until Thursday at noon ET against Illinois, but Michigan’s basketball team has far bigger issues than the Illini.

Michigan’s team plane ran off the end of the runway and through a fence, sustaining damage, after pilots had to abort takeoff due to excessively high winds (upwards of 60 mph). The team did not suffer any injuries, but it was an extremely scary incident and the players had to use the emergency exits to get off of the plane.

https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/839576359303278594

Some of those on the plane posted pictures or video following the accident to social media, and in the videos you can hear how strong the wind gusts were as they looked back at the plane after getting off.

https://twitter.com/tylerjdavis2/status/839584612758220805

With everyone safe, the question now is when will the Wolverines get to the tournament. Wind conditions were still an issue in the afternoon, and due to an investigation into the takeoff accident, Michigan will likely not leave until Thursday morning as they don’t plan on taking buses.

If that’s the case, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the Wolverines are ready for a noon tip-off in Washington, D.C.