Disaster avoided as plane carrying Carolina Panthers players skids off runway

The Panthers players were returning from a pre-season showdown with the New England Patriots

Delta Airlines planes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. The landing gear of a Delta Airlines flight carrying members of the Carolina Panthers slipped off the runway and became stuck in the mud shortly after the plane landed (Getty Images)

A chartered airplane carrying members of the Carolina Panthers skidded off the runway at Charlotte Douglas International Airport just moments after it touched down on Friday morning.

The Delta Flight 88860 left Providence, Rhode Island around midnight and landed at the airport in North Carolina around 2:35am, according to WCNC.

During the landing, the front right gear slid off the taxiway and became stuck in the mud.

“The plane, Delta Flight 8860, landed on runway 36R closest to the Billy Graham Parkway around 2:35 a.m., before it went off the taxiway into mud,” the airline told the Associated Press.

Emergency vehicles rushed out onto the runway after the plane slipped off, according to witnesses who spoke to the broadcaster.

Delta Airlines confirmed none of the 188 passengers were injured as a result of the incident.

“We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience,” the airline said in a statement.

The Panthers also issued a statement acknowledging the incident.

“The team can confirm that their chartered team plane, after landing safely, did run off the taxiway and into mud. The team can also confirm that no injuries were reported and no one was hurt," the statement said.

Passengers disembarked after the incident and were bussed to a nearby terminal while workers dislodged the plane.

The Panthers players were returning after playing a pre-season game against the New England Patriots. They lost that game 17-3.

The team is taking Friday off and will resume practice this weekend.

The NFL players weren't the only ones to have a scary flight experience overnight. Just hours before the Panthers' incident, an American Airlines flight from Tampa Bay to Charlotte experienced significant turbulence, resulting in the injuries of four flight staff, according to WBTV.

American Airlines Flight 2905 landed safely at Charlotte Douglas International after hitting the turbulence. The four injured flight attendants were taken to a nearby hospital for examination after the incident.