Flight Delayed Due to Snake on Plane Causing Panic Among Passengers

A recent incident involving a Virgin Australia flight captured significant attention after a snake was found in the aircraft’s cargo hold, leading to a two-hour delay and considerable alarm among passengers.

The event took place on July 2, as travelers commenced boarding for Flight VA337, which was scheduled to journey from Melbourne to Brisbane. Snake catcher Mark Pelley was promptly summoned when airline personnel noticed the reptile hidden behind a panel in the dimly lit cargo space.

Upon examination, the snake was identified as a harmless two-foot green tree snake. However, Pelley initially expressed concern regarding its potential venomous nature.

“It wasn’t until after I caught the snake that I realized it wasn’t venomous. Until that point, it looked very dangerous to me, ” he stated, as reported by AP.

Flight Delay Due to Unexpected Wildlife Encounter

Given Australia’s reputation for housing some of the most venomous snakes globally, Pelley cautioned airline staff that an evacuation might be necessary if the snake managed to conceal itself within the aircraft.

“I told them if I don’t get this in one shot, it’s going to sneak through the panels and you’re going to have to evacuate the plane because at that stage I did not know what kind of snake it was, ” he explained.“But thankfully, I got it on the first try and captured it. If I didn’t get it that first time, the engineers and I would be pulling apart a 737 looking for a snake still right now.”

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Pelley recounted that reaching the aircraft involved a 30-minute drive to the airport, compounded by delays due to security checks. Ultimately, the flight experienced a two-hour hold-up while the snake was safely extracted.

Given that the green tree snake is indigenous to Brisbane, it is plausible that it concealed itself in passenger luggage during its travel to Melbourne and slipped out before the return flight.

In light of quarantine regulations, the snake cannot be released back into the wild. It is currently under the care of a Melbourne veterinarian, who will ensure it is transferred to a licensed snake keeper.

This incident isn’t unique; in 2024, passengers aboard an AirAsia flight were startled by the presence of a live snake, which subsequently went viral. Such occurrences highlight the unexpected wildlife encounters that can happen during air travel.

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