The Jazz defeated the Grizzlies in Memphis on Wednesday night in a hard-fought game that Utah was able to win despite the absence of star guard Donovan Mitchell. However, getting to Memphis proved more difficult than any game, as their plane collided with a flock of birds shortly after takeoff, causing an engine failure and forcing an emergency landing in Salt Lake City.
No one was injured on board, and the plane returned safely and without incident, but the situation definitely shook everyone on board. Mitchell’s absence was revealed after the plane incident for “personal reasons,” and Jordan Clarkson said after the game on Wednesday that he understood why Mitchell didn’t want to make the trip after such a scare.
Jordan Clarkson: "It was one of those flights, like, you were sending out texts, like, this might be the end. I understand fully why Don didn’t come."
— tribjazz (@tribjazz) April 1, 2021
Clarkson also went into more detail about what he saw from inside the aircraft, claiming he heard a loud boom and people in the back saw fire shooting out of the cockpit, with many assuming they were going to die in a plane crash — and thanking the pilot for bringing them down safely and staying calm in the face of such adversity.
Jordan Clarkson: "I heard a loud bang. … I turn and look out the window and see the whole engine shaking. … A lot of people sitting in the back saw some flames. … At least 30 seconds of that flight, everyone thought, ‘It might be over for us.’"
— tribjazz (@tribjazz) April 1, 2021
Jordan Clarkson: "It was like one of those flights where you're sending out texts like you've seen on the movies when a plane is about the crash. It got to that point where we all on the plane were like, 'This might be really the end.'"
— Ryan Miller (@millerjryan) April 1, 2021
Jordan Clarkson was thinking, "Just please put this plane on the ground and let us land this." He said once the flight crew diagnosed the exact issue, they were very reassuring: "The pilot was super-calm. Shout-out to him for getting us down safe."
— tribjazz (@tribjazz) April 1, 2021
Mike Conley shared similar feelings about what he saw, and it’s obvious that no one on that plane will forget what happened.
Mike Conley: "Sounded like there was an explosion. Plane started to bounce and tilt to the left. People in the back said they saw flames. … Altitude started to drop a bit. … Nobody knew what happened, we were in shock. … It felt like the plane was breaking apart in midair."
— tribjazz (@tribjazz) April 1, 2021
Thankfully, nothing bad happened and they were able to land, and hopefully, everyone involved would be able to move on from what was obviously a stressful experience, particularly considering the amount of plane travel NBA players would endure.