The plane transporting the Kansas men's basketball team back to Lawrence, Kansas from its game at Stanford suffered engine failure Sunday evening, forcing the pilot to reroute and return back to San Jose, where the team initially departed from. The team made a safe landing back at the San Jose Airport and stayed overnight in San Jose.
The engine failure took place "roughly 20 minutes into the flight," Kansas said in a statement Sunday night.
"The pilot immediately contacted the San Jose Airport where we returned and made a safe landing," the statement said. "We are grateful to the pilots and the entire flight crew of Swift Air. We will stay the night in San Jose and return to Lawrence once the plans have been finalized."
Kansas was making the trek back to Lawrence from California after facing Stanford in Palo Alto, California on Sunday afternoon. The No. 5 Jayhawks won the outing, 72-56.
After landing safely from the scare, KU Senior Associate Athletics Director Ryan White shared the following video of the engine apparently shooting out flames.
@KUHoops plane blows engine on flight back to Lawrence. We just landed safely back in San Jose. 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/aAKPcavCUK
— Ryan White (@ryanwhite_01) December 30, 2019
Several KU players also tweeted after the incident, expressing relief that it was only a scare.
Never prayed like that before! Thank the Lord!
— Mitch Lightfoot (@Mitchlightfoot) December 30, 2019
— Devon Dotson⚡️ (@d_dotson1) December 30, 2019
Gotta appreciate and thank the man up above🙏🏾 every single minute of your life.
— Silvio De Sousa ™ (@SilvioDeSousa5) December 30, 2019
Thank God🙌🏾#Iaintseemyfamilyin2years
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 One Word “Blessed” https://t.co/xFRJxlwSTu
— Marcus Garrett (@ImMarcusGarrett) December 30, 2019
Thankful to report that everyone onboard is safe and sound. https://t.co/2NAmfVAHHz
— Kansas Basketball (@KUHoops) December 30, 2019
Sunday was KU's last game of the 2019 calendar year. The Jayhawks face West Virginia on Saturday in their Big 12 opener.
