Butler basketball had a very frightening moment during the flight back from New York City after Thursday night’s game at St. John’s.
The team plane had to land in Pittsburgh rather than completing the trip back to Indianapolis, after losing cabin pressure, causing a quick descent from 35,000 to 10,000 feet. Head coach Chris Holtmann described the scary scene to ESPN‘s Jeff Goodman.
“It started to get really cold, and the plane went completely dark,” Holtmann told ESPN. “Then all the oxygen masks came flying down, and the flight attendant told everyone to put the masks on. She kept repeating it.
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Holtmann said he heard players yelling in panic from the back of the plane and that staff members were texting their wives.
“As a coach, you are obviously thinking of your family,” Holtmann said. “But you are also thinking about all the young men on the plane.
“I was shook. It was scary, we had guys crying.”
Rather than charter another plane to take the team from Pittsburgh to Indianapolis, Butler has elected to take a bus the rest of the way today. After last night’s flight, we’re sure that is a popular choice with the players.
Butler basketball was upset by the Red Storm on Thursday night 76-73, just its second loss of the 2016-17 season. The Bulldogs host Providence on Sunday afternoon.
[ESPN]