Oklahoma City Thunder: Plane nose crumpled midair by…a bird?

A Delta Airlines flight carrying the Oklahoma City Thunder landed in Chicago with the plane nose looking as though it had been through a crash test dummy crumple-zone check.

Imagine deplaning after a long rough flight, looking out the terminal window and seeing the nose of your plane completely smashed in. That’s what Oklahoma City Thunder players went through as they exited the plane after flying to Chicago.

The nose of the plane is completely crumpled in, as if it had been punched by a giant fist in the air, and Delta’s explanation of how it happened makes the picture even more incredible.

What would cause this type of damage? According to a statement Delta airlines issued via USA Today…a bird.

“Delta flight 8935, operating from Minneapolis to Chicago-Midway as a charter flight for the Oklahoma City Thunder, likely encountered a bird while on descent into Chicago. The aircraft, a Boeing 757-200, landed safely without incident; customers have since deplaned and maintenance teams are evaluating. Safety is Delta’s top priority.”

The laws of physics, folks. Even a little bird can do catastrophic damage when travelling at over 500 mph.

Thankfully no one was injured, and the Thunder players can breathe easy and give a little thanks, as Carmelo Anthony did in his Instagram post.

The plane, however, will likely need a facelift.

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The Thunder are scheduled to play the Bulls on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. in the United Center. This will be the Thunder’s only trip to Chicago this season.