March 29, 2024

Mechanical problem forces team plane to return to airport

WATERLOO — A mechanical problem forced a charter plane carrying the Evansville University men’s basketball team to turn around and land in Waterloo.

The team spent Wednesday night at a hotel after an uneventful landing at Waterloo airport. The team was headed home to Indiana after losing to Northern Iowa 68-57 in nearby Cedar Falls. On board were three crew members and 22 passengers. The turboprop was chartered from Corporate Flight Management, of Smyrna, Tennessee. Spokesman Matt Chaifetz told The Associated Press on Thursday that the plane had gotten blowing snow inside the mechanism that spins the blades. The pilots noticed a vibration they couldn’t identify after takeoff, so they returned to Waterloo.

Chaifetz says the plane will be back in the air later Thursday.