Just when you thought a weekend trip was only about watching your favorite football, the Minnesota Vikings decided to spice things up mid-air. Yes, it sounds hilarious, but it’s true: on Saturday, Dec. 20, the Vikings took off from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport toward Newark—only to return shortly after. Why? Mechanical issues with the plane. NFL insider Tom Pelissero confirmed, “Shortly after departing, the team plane experienced mechanical issues that required a return to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.”
Of course, the Vikings didn’t give up. The plan? Board a second plane and try again, with hopes to reach Newark later that night. The drama wasn’t limited to the team alone; team broadcaster Ben Leber documented the whole journey on his Instagram Stories. He started off enjoying a cup of coffee while watching the Miami Hurricanes play Texas A&M Aggies and captioned.
But moments later, he posted again, revealing the plane wasn’t cooperating, writing, “Can’t get to NY when the landing gear hatch doesn’t close. 🤦🏻♂️.” In the photo, the plane appeared to divert just south of Madison, Wisconsin.
In the end, the Vikings made it safely. Isaiah Rodgers confirmed, “We’re ok.” Even though the team is already eliminated from the playoffs with a 6-8 record, after back-to-back wins over the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys, this ‘Minneapolis-to-New York plane adventure’ added a little extra excitement to their final road game of the season.
Next up, the Vikings will be back home at U.S. Bank Stadium to face the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. And us? We’ll just sit back and wait for the next time the football team’s plane decides it wants a little ‘adventure.’
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