Someone who didn’t get to put on his suit and tie at the Met Ball last night was Chris Brown. It wasn’t because of a
wardrobe malfunction either, but a technical one.
His private jet had to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff when the cockpit began to fill with smoke yesterday.
Chris was flying out of Burbank en route to Teterboro, New Jersey, TMZ has confirmed, so that he could walk this year’s must-attend event of the East Coast, the 2013 Met Gala.
According to TMZ’s sources, it was about 7 to 8 minutes into the flight when passengers began to notice smoke permeating the cockpit and cabin. “It was A LOT of smoke…everywhere,” a source said.
Those onboard were scared, naturally, but the pilot was a complete professional—“cool, calm, and collected”—he turned the plane around and made an emergency landing at the Burbank Airport.
The plane wasn't in a freefall or immediate danger of crashing, so it wasn't any more a near-death experience than if your car overheated right before getting on the freeway, but still, tell that to any of the passengers onboard in that moment who less than 10 minutes ago just watched the plane's safety video.
Chris eventually made it to Teterboro after boarding another private jet within an hour of the emergency landing, but this story doesn’t have a Cinderella fairytale ending.
This private plane turned back into a pumpkin; Chris didn’t make it to the Met Ball by midnight or at all.
