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MJ4H · 07-08-2005, 11:24 AM

I had two funky incidents when I was in college and travelling with the Razorback basketball team on pep band trips.

The first incident wasn't so bad, but we were coming home from Atlanta and the SEC tournament. It was the most heinous turbulence I've ever experienced. The plane would routinely feel like it dropped straight down for 5-6 seconds over and over again. People were lining up to go to the bathroom and puke. I made it ok. Then we had to land in Tulsa instead of Fayetteville because it was snowing or something. Had to charter busses to get us home. THat whole trip sucked, but wasn't really scary.

The other time is when we were coming home from New York when we made the NIT Final Four. Our pilot landed at the wrong airport. Now, the airport in Fayetteville isn't very big, but the one we landed at, 10 minutes north in Springdale is very small. We were in a very large plance. As the plane touched down, he hit the brakes so hard I almost joined Ali Thompson in the seat in front of us (I really don't know if that's who was up there, but that's what my vague recollection says). So we start trying to turn the plane around on the run way. The plane starts backing up a little then inching forward, and repeating. Then I look out the window and see a McDonald's that has a big plastic airplane on its roof out the window. I told my friend I thought that McDonald's was in Springdale. He looks out and starts laughing. Pretty soon the pilot comes walking through the cabin and goes out the back somehow. He has a very oh shit look on his face. Then he goes back up to the front. It is becoming obvious to everyone we landed at the wrong airport. This runway is tiny. Everyone realizes that it was a miracle we got the plane stopped in time.

So he continues to try to get turned around. As I'm sitting there looking out the window (I'm in the very back seat on the right side of the plane) I suddenly see a BLUE FLAME SHOOT FROM THE ENGINE (EDIT-forgot to explain this part, apparently when the runway cracked a piece of the concrete got sucked up into the jet engine, causing the flame--I found this part out later).

Well that did it, the pilot shut it down. He comes stormning through the cabin again and out the back. We unload and have to get our luggage off the plane there at the far end of the airport all the way at the end of the runway. As we get out, we notice the plane has CRACKED the runway because it was too heavy, and the front wheels were off the runway and in the grass.

Nolan Richardson had to pull some strings to get busses stirred up at midnight or one in the morning to take us back to Fayetteville. Loads of fun.

07-08-2005, 11:24 AM	#14
MJ4H Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hog Country	I had two funky incidents when I was in college and travelling with the Razorback basketball team on pep band trips. The first incident wasn't so bad, but we were coming home from Atlanta and the SEC tournament. It was the most heinous turbulence I've ever experienced. The plane would routinely feel like it dropped straight down for 5-6 seconds over and over again. People were lining up to go to the bathroom and puke. I made it ok. Then we had to land in Tulsa instead of Fayetteville because it was snowing or something. Had to charter busses to get us home. THat whole trip sucked, but wasn't really scary. The other time is when we were coming home from New York when we made the NIT Final Four. Our pilot landed at the wrong airport. Now, the airport in Fayetteville isn't very big, but the one we landed at, 10 minutes north in Springdale is very small. We were in a very large plance. As the plane touched down, he hit the brakes so hard I almost joined Ali Thompson in the seat in front of us (I really don't know if that's who was up there, but that's what my vague recollection says). So we start trying to turn the plane around on the run way. The plane starts backing up a little then inching forward, and repeating. Then I look out the window and see a McDonald's that has a big plastic airplane on its roof out the window. I told my friend I thought that McDonald's was in Springdale. He looks out and starts laughing. Pretty soon the pilot comes walking through the cabin and goes out the back somehow. He has a very oh shit look on his face. Then he goes back up to the front. It is becoming obvious to everyone we landed at the wrong airport. This runway is tiny. Everyone realizes that it was a miracle we got the plane stopped in time. So he continues to try to get turned around. As I'm sitting there looking out the window (I'm in the very back seat on the right side of the plane) I suddenly see a BLUE FLAME SHOOT FROM THE ENGINE (EDIT-forgot to explain this part, apparently when the runway cracked a piece of the concrete got sucked up into the jet engine, causing the flame--I found this part out later). Well that did it, the pilot shut it down. He comes stormning through the cabin again and out the back. We unload and have to get our luggage off the plane there at the far end of the airport all the way at the end of the runway. As we get out, we notice the plane has CRACKED the runway because it was too heavy, and the front wheels were off the runway and in the grass. Nolan Richardson had to pull some strings to get busses stirred up at midnight or one in the morning to take us back to Fayetteville. Loads of fun. Last edited by MJ4H : 07-09-2005 at 10:34 AM.