Jet Carrying TU Men's Basketball Team Makes Emergency Landing In Tulsa

Wednesday, February 3rd 2016, 5:24 pm

By: Richard Clark

A jet carrying the TU Men's basketball team made an emergency landing at Tulsa International Airport shortly after takeoff Wednesday afternoon.

According to LiveATC.Net, the pilots of Aerodynamics Flight 974 told ground controllers that they had an engine out. The twin-engine Embraer ERJ-145 jet landed safely a few minutes later.

The website recorded the following conversation between the pilots and a ground controller:

Controller: “Dynamic 974 you say lost one engine, can you tell me which one it is?”

Controller: “Dynamic 974, roger, descend at pilot’s discretion, maintain 2,500 and expect a visual approach to Runway 3-6 Right.”

Pilot: “3-6 Right, Aerodynamics 974.”

Controller: “Dynamics 974, fuel remaining and souls on board, please?”

Pilot: “Stand by, sir. We have 37 souls on board and we have four hours of fuel on board.”

The flight had taken off from TIA at about 3:15 pm. and was headed to Philadelphia. No one reported any injuries.

The team was heading to Philadelphia on the charter flight for a game at Temple on Saturday. The team will try to make it to Temple later Friday, probably on a commercial flight.

The university released the following statement:

"TU athletics officials confirmed that a charter airline carrying the University of Tulsa men's basketball team today encountered mechanical difficulties and returned safely to Tulsa International Airport. The team was en route to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for tomorrow nights basketball game at Temple. The plane departed Tulsa International Airport at approximately 3:15 p.m. and returned at approximately 3:40 p.m. The team will leave today on a commercial flight to Philadelphia."

According to its website, Aerodynamics is based in an Atlanta suburb and has been in business for more than 50 years.