Northwest Airline Jet Buzzes Spartan Stadium

Memo to the pilot: Thanks very much, you Jackass

EAST LANSING, MI  NOVEMBER 3, 2001 

Many fans at Saturday's Michigan/Michigan State football game had a bone chilling scare as a large Northwest airlines jet decided to fly above and turn directly over the stadium.  Sometime in the first half of the game, fans sitting on the East side of Spartan Stadium stands watched as the jet came from the West, made a slight turn, and headed toward Lansing's Capital City Airport.  Some witnesses believe the plane was a DC9.  No Sunday morning papers made mention of this incident (the press box is in the West stands...the press probably missed it), but it was widely discussed after the game.

The frightening experience was not limited to the fans in the stadium, as many tailgaters hanging in the parking lots around the stadium also saw and heard the plane.   No planes of any kind have been seen above major sporting events since Sept. 11.

Obviously nothing happened with the plane other than scaring people.  But here is the problem:  Events like football games are a chance to get away from the issues in our day to day lives.  This could not be more true today, as we all were recently warned of impending terrorist actions.  Thanks to the jackass flying that jet (or the people in the tower), 100,000 people in and around the stadium had a very unwelcome reminder of the terror that is gripping our land.  A good explanation and sincere apology is necessary.