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The Minnesota Vikings' team plane was forced to make an emergency landing after dealing with mechanical issues about an hour after departing from Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport en route to Newark, New Jersey, ahead of Sunday's (December 21) game against the New York Giants, a spokesman for the team confirmed to ESPN's Kevin Seifert on Saturday (December 20).
A flight map shared by former linebacker turned broadcaster Ben Leber on his Instagram Story showed the plane changed course just south of Madison, Wisconsin, which Leber reported was due to the plane's landing gear hatch failing to close after takeoff.
"Can't get to NY when the landing gear hatch doesn't close," Leber wrote before sharing a photo from his hotel seven hours later confirming he had "finally made it."
Vikings players, coaches and staff were reported to have boarded a second plane that left Minnesota at around 8:25 p.m. ET. Sunday's game will be the Vikings' last on the road before back-to-back home games at U.S. Bank Stadium against the NFC North Division rival Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers to end the regular season.
Minnesota has already been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs with a 6-8 record, but is coming off back-to-back wins against the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys.