Flight Canceled After Pilot Spots Snake Inside Cabin Under Carpet

A domestic flight operated by Japan Air Commuter, a regional airline under Japan Airlines, was canceled after a snake was discovered inside the aircraft.

According to Kyodo News and the Nishinippon Shimbun, a 40-centimeter-long striped snake was spotted inside the cabin of an ATR42 aircraft scheduled to depart from Fukuoka Airport for Kagoshima on the 19th.

The aircraft had arrived at Fukuoka Airport earlier that morning after departing from Izumo Airport in Shimane Prefecture.

The striped snake was first spotted in the cockpit by a pilot who was preparing for departure.

After the snake slithered away and its whereabouts became unknown, the scheduled flight for that day was canceled, and it was found again the next day, the 20th.

When a mechanic lifted the carpet in the rear of the cabin, the striped snake was found hiding underneath and was captured after pest control specialists were brought in.

The discovered striped snake was a juvenile, not yet fully grown, and its route of entry has not been determined.

The airline presumes that the snake entered the aircraft from the wild.

The airline explained that, to the best of its knowledge, there has never been a previous case of a snake entering an aircraft cabin, and apologized to passengers for the inconvenience caused.

Striped snakes grow to between 80 and 200 centimeters as adults and are known to be non-venomous.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.