ESPN’s NBA reporter Brian Windhorst has shared a shocking experience from his American Airlines flight from Omaha to Los Angeles on Monday night.
Just 10 minutes after takeoff, as he was en route to cover the Lakers, Windhorst reported that his plane made an abrupt U-turn, its nose pointing east when everyone on board had been expecting to head west. The sudden silence and stillness on the plane alerted him that something was amiss from his usual window seat. It comes after Shaquille O’Neal made his presence felt live on ESPN.
Windhorst later recounted how the Wi-Fi timer on his phone dropped from over three hours to just fourteen minutes, indicating that the flight computer had already been reset for landing at Eppley Airfield. There were no announcements, only red lights glowing above the restroom and a flight attendant rushing towards the cockpit.
Meanwhile, as he grappled with this frightening mid-air moment, the NBA was gearing up for two high-profile games the next day.
He noted that most passengers, with their shades down and earbuds in, missed the moment when the landing gear clunked open during descent.
Having flown this route many times before, he recognized that the emergency strobes flashing below were actually meant for his previous aircraft.
Upon landing, Windhorst and his fellow passengers were greeted by police cruisers, with fire trucks on standby and an ambulance positioned with its headlights illuminating the aircraft. Officers swiftly ascended the portable stairs and entered the cabin without uttering a word.
Two officers vanished into the cockpit while another called out down the aisle, inquiring about everyone’s wellbeing. Only after this did the pilot open the door to clarify what had transpired. There was a communication breakdown between the cockpit and crew, and a microphone was inadvertently left open by the flight attendants, resulting in static and muffled noises in the pilots’ headsets.
When they knocked on the door to reestablish contact, the pilots misinterpreted it as an attempted breach and declared an emergency. Air traffic control recorded the situation as a potential terrorist threat, triggering every emergency protocol in Omaha.
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Within moments, lights, sirens, and armed response enveloped the aircraft. Everyone was safe, but the misunderstanding resulted in a four-hour delay as new attendants were brought in.
By the time the Lakers faced off against the Golden State Warriors during Tuesday’s NBA opening day, Windhorst’s Monday ordeal was over. The LA team lost 119-109 due to a weak defensive performance, with LeBron James still benched due to a back injury.
The game also saw Lakers legend Shaq criticize Lakers big man DeAndre Ayton for his 10-point performance.