Cubs flight diverted to Albuquerque for ill non-player

[October 14, 2017]    (The Sports Xchange) - The Chicago Cubs' overnight flight to Los Angeles lasted into Friday afternoon with the team arriving more than five hours behind schedule.

The Chicago Cubs logo is seen at the Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, April 15, 2013. REUTERS/Jim Young

The United charter plane landed at Los Angeles International Airport at 12:09 p.m. PT after a five-hour stop in Albuquerque, N.M. when a non-player on board became ill.

The Cubs open the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. They wrapped up the NL Division Series against the Washington Nationals on Thursday night.

According to flight tracking logs, the Cubs departed Washington Dulles airport at 4:07 a.m. ET. The flight diverted to Albuquerque just more than three hours later after the non-player became ill. That person was transported to an Albuquerque hospital.

The unexpected landing created another problem -- the pilots ran out of flight time and needed to be replaced. Five hours later, the flight departed Albuquerque for Los Angeles.

(Editing by Gene Cherry)

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