Carolina Panthers' Delta flight runs off taxiway at Charlotte airport

A Delta flight carrying Carolina Panthers players ran off the taxiway at Charlotte Douglas International Airport early Friday morning, per a report from WCNC Charlotte.

The plane landed around 2:35 a.m. ET before it went off the taxiway and into the mud. Witnesses on the scene notified WCNC that the plane was carrying an unknown amount of Panthers players. None of the 188 passengers aboard were injured and they were deplaned shortly after the incident.

“The right main gear of Delta 8860 exited the taxiway at Charlotte Douglas International Airport following a normal arrival,” Delta said in a statement. “No injuries were reported by the 188 customers who are deplaning and being bused to the terminal. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”

The flight landed in Charlotte after taking off from Providence, Rhode Island, just after midnight. The Panthers made their preseason debut Thursday night against the New England Patriots in Foxboro. Carolina fell 17-3 to New England in a game in which first-year head coach Dave Canales rested all of his starters.

Former Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer got the start under center for Carolina, completing 11-of-21 passes for 86 yards. He would make way for Jake Luton, signed three days earlier. Luton went 7-of-9 for 38 yards and led the Panthers down the field in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, a drive which ended in a field goal.

Multiple Panthers defenders make an impact in preseason loss

On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Lamar Jackson arguably shined the most. The fifth-year pro recorded two tackles and two passes defended and earned a shoutout from Canales after the game.

“Lamar made the most of the opportunities he was given, and he made some great plays for us,” Canales said. “He had a couple of nice tackles and hits out there too. So, he really showed something and showed us something about him.”

Second-year linebacker Eku Leota also made his presence felt, tallying two tackles, both for a loss. He added a quarterback hurry and a couple stops on special teams.

“Eku it just starts with strength,” Canales said. “He played so hard tonight and was playing physical. I’ve got to look at the film to see what the whole story was, but the effort was there, and the style of play was fantastic.”

The Panthers host the New York Jets next Saturday in their second preseason tilt.