Vikings Grounded in Minneapolis After Plane Issue, Await New Flight Ahead of Giants Matchup
The Minnesota Vikings had every intention of being wheels-down in New Jersey by early Saturday evening, settling into their hotel and prepping for Sunday’s noon kickoff against the New York Giants. Instead, they’re still in Minneapolis, grounded after a mid-flight mechanical issue forced their team plane to turn back not long after takeoff.
The plan was simple: board the flight early afternoon, head east, and arrive in Newark with enough time to get settled and focused. Head coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff had already made the necessary roster adjustments and mapped out the travel logistics. Everything was lining up smoothly-until it wasn’t.
Shortly after takeoff from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the Vikings’ charter flight encountered a mechanical issue while flying near Milwaukee airspace.
The pilots made the call to turn the plane around and return to MSP as a precaution. The aircraft landed safely back in Minneapolis, and no injuries or emergencies were reported on board.
While the specific nature of the mechanical problem hasn’t been disclosed, the team confirmed the incident with a statement:
“Shortly after departing, the team plane experienced mechanical issues that required a return to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.”
By 6:30 p.m. CST, the team was still on the ground, waiting for a replacement aircraft to arrive. A team spokesperson later added that the Vikings still intend to depart later Saturday night.
It’s not the kind of turbulence you want the night before a big game, but the Vikings are doing what they can to stay on schedule. If the backup plane arrives promptly and takes off soon, the team is expected to land in Newark around 10 p.m.
EST. That’s certainly not ideal, but it’s manageable.
What the Vikings will want to avoid is a prolonged delay that cuts into their rest, recovery, and prep time for Sunday’s early kickoff.
The silver lining? Everyone’s safe.
Mechanical issues mid-flight are never taken lightly, and the pilots acted quickly and decisively to bring the plane back without incident. Whether the players and staff felt anything unusual in the air remains unknown, but any time a flight carrying an entire NFL roster has to make an emergency landing, it’s a moment that grabs your attention.
Now, with kickoff against the Giants looming, the Vikings are hoping this travel hiccup is just a minor detour-not a disruption to their game-day rhythm.