Jordan Clarkson: Jazz Feared 'The End' When Team Plane Made Emergency Landing

Members of the Utah Jazz feared for their lives Tuesday when their charter flight had to make an emergency landing after hitting a flock of birds.

Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson told reporters after Wednesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies that they "got to that point where we were all on the plane like, 'This might be really the end.'"

A Jazz spokesman announced the team plane had to land in Salt Lake City shortly after their 1:15 p.m. local time takeoff Tuesday because of engine failure and an engine fire that occurred when it struck a group of birds.

Several Jazz players, including Clarkson and Mike Conley, tweeted afterward:

Conley told reporters there was "a good 10 or 15 minutes" when "all of us on that flight were questioning if we were going to be here today."

Per Ryan Miller of KSL.com, Donovan Mitchell didn't accompany the Jazz on their trip to Memphis after they changed planes because of personal reasons.

Miller did note that Mitchell has expressed a fear of flying in the past.

Following Wednesday's win over the Grizzlies, the Jazz will play seven of their next nine games at home through April 16. Their only road games during that span are against the Dallas Mavericks on April 5 and Phoenix Suns on April 7.