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The Minnesota Vikings team plane slid off a runway, and the players live-tweeted the aftermath

Another victory for social media.

 

Josh Katzowitz

Streaming

Posted on Dec 24, 2016   Updated on May 25, 2021, 8:11 am CDT

The Minnesota Vikings play the Green Bay Packers on Saturday at noon CT. But don’t blame the Vikings if they’re a little sleepy once they take the field.

That’s because the team’s airplane slid off the runway Friday night in Appleton, Wisconsin, leading to a long delay as the team and all its officials slowly deplaned.

As ESPN noted, the landing was safe, but as the plane taxied to the gate, it slid off the snowy runway. Since the plane was situated about 200 yards from the terminal, portable stairs and the bridges used for boarding were unavailable.

That meant the team had to be rescued by the fire department two by two.

Thankfully, there were no injuries, and luckily, those on the plane live-tweeted the somewhat-harrowing experience.

The Vikings left their team headquarters at 1:30pm in preparation for their 48-minute flight to Appleton. By 9pm, the team was still deplaning and didn’t leave for the team hotel until about 10:15. That’s less than 14 hours before kickoff.

But the plane was filled with professionals who understand how to overcome adversity.

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*First Published: Dec 24, 2016, 9:35 am CST