‘We Need Police On Landing’: Auburn Basketball’s Mid-Air Brawl Forces Emergency Landing—Hear The ATC Drama

The Auburn men’s basketball team was flying to Houston on Friday when an altercation between players forced their plane to turn back shortly after takeoff. The No. 11 Tigers, fresh off a season-opening victory against Vermont, were en route to face No. 4 Houston when a scuffle broke out among a group of players on board.

The incident occurred approximately 40 minutes into the flight, which had departed Auburn just before 3 p.m. According to air traffic control communications, the pilot requested an emergency landing in Montgomery, citing a “bunch of basketball players fighting” on board. The pilot assured air traffic controllers that the cockpit was secure and that the altercation was “contained for the moment,” but requested police assistance upon landing, noting that clothes were torn during the altercation.

The conflict reportedly stemmed from “horseplay” among players, escalating into verbal confrontations. ESPN reporting suggests that the skirmish had been diffused before it turned serious. Auburn’s athletic department has not released an official statement regarding consequences. A replacement flight was arranged, and Auburn is expected to face Houston as planned on Saturday.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. I once was on a PSA flight when the AZ basketball team boarded. I never felt so short or so smart.

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