Melbourne to Brisbane: Snake found on board; Virgin Australia flight delayed by 2 hours
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The incident took place on Tuesday, when passengers were boarding Virgin Australia Flight VA337 at Melbourne Airport, bound for Brisbane. Airline staff Pelley told the Associated Press that the snake was partially hidden behind a panel when he entered the cargo hold.
Although the snake later turned out to be non-venomous, it initially appeared dangerous in the dimly lit cargo hold, Pelley said. '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,'.
The snake was partially concealed behind a panel and could have easily slipped deeper into the aircraft. Pelley warned airline staff and an engineer that if the snake got away, a full evacuation would be necessary.
Fortunately, he managed to catch it on the first attempt. 'If I hadn't, engineers might still be pulling apart the Boeing 737 looking for it,' he added.
Due to quarantine restrictions, the snake cannot be released back into the wild. Instead, it has been handed over to a Melbourne veterinarian who will place it with a licensed snake keeper.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Melbourne to Brisbane: Snake found on board; Virgin Australia flight delayed by 2 hours
A domestic Virgin Australia flight was delayed for nearly two hours after a 60-centimetre (2 foot) green tree snake was discovered in the plane's cargo hold, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The incident took place on Tuesday, when passengers were boarding Virgin Australia Flight VA337 at Melbourne Airport, bound for Brisbane. Airline staff Pelley told the Associated Press that the snake was partially hidden behind a panel when he entered the cargo hold. Although the snake later turned out to be non-venomous, it initially appeared dangerous in the dimly lit cargo hold, Pelley said. '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,'. The snake was partially concealed behind a panel and could have easily slipped deeper into the aircraft. Pelley warned airline staff and an engineer that if the snake got away, a full evacuation would be necessary. Fortunately, he managed to catch it on the first attempt. 'If I hadn't, engineers might still be pulling apart the Boeing 737 looking for it,' he added. Due to quarantine restrictions, the snake cannot be released back into the wild. Instead, it has been handed over to a Melbourne veterinarian who will place it with a licensed snake keeper.
India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
Japan Airlines Boeing 737 drops 26,000 feet, passengers write farewell notes
Passengers aboard a Japan Airlines flight (JL8696) from Shanghai, China to Tokyo, Japan experienced a terrifying ordeal when their Boeing 737 suddenly descended 26,000 feet reportedly, forcing the deployment of oxygen feared the plane was going to crash. Some who were asleep were jolted awake, while others began writing down their wills and sending messages to loved ones with personal details such as bank PINs and insurance flight, which departed on June 30 from Shanghai Pudong Airport en route to Tokyo Narita Airport, was operated under a codeshare agreement between Japan Airlines and its low-cost subsidiary, Spring Japan. According to the South China Morning Post, there were 191 people on board.A #JapanAirlines #flight from #Shanghai to #Tokyo made an emergency landing at Kansai Airport last night after a cabin depressurization alert. The #Boeing 737-800, carrying 191 people, landed safely. No injuries reported. #China #Japan Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) July 1, 2025 An Associated Press report stated that around 6:53 pm local time, the aircraft encountered a mid-air mechanical issue that triggered a rapid descent from approximately 36,000 feet to just under 10,500 feet in under 10 report also stated that a pressurisation system alert was activated during the descent, prompting the pilot to declare an emergency and divert the flight to Kansai International Airport in cabin pressure dropped, oxygen masks were released. Footage from the flight shows visibly shaken passengers wearing oxygen masks as a flight attendant delivers the panic, the aircraft landed safely in Osaka at 8:50 PM local time. No injuries were incident adds to growing concerns over Boeing aircraft. Last month, a devastating crash involving a Boeing plane on the Ahmedabad-London route killed 275 people. Since then, multiple near-misses, most involving Boeing planes, have further intensified scrutiny of the manufacturer's safety record.- Ends IN THIS STORY#Japan
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Snake on the plane: Australia flight delayed for two hours after a green snake found aboard
A Virgin Australia flight was delayed for nearly two hours after a green tree snake was discovered in the cargo hold of the aircraft, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Discovery During Boarding The incident occurred on Tuesday at Melbourne Airport as passengers were boarding Flight VA337 to Brisbane. Snake catcher Mark Pelley was called in after the reptile was found in the aircraft's lower compartment. The snake, later identified as a harmless 60-centimeter green tree snake, was initially believed to be venomous due to limited visibility. 'It wasn't until after I caught the snake that I realized that it wasn't venomous. Until that point, it looked very dangerous to me,' Pelley said to Associated Press. Narrow Escape from Full Evacuation The snake was partially hidden behind a panel and could have slipped deeper into the aircraft. Pelley warned airline staff and an engineer that a full evacuation would be required if the snake disappeared into the plane's structure. 'I said to 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 said. 'But thankfully, I got it on the first try and captured it,' as reported by AP. Pelley noted that had he failed, engineers might still be disassembling the Boeing 737 in search of the snake. Flight Delay and Quarantine Measures Pelley said he took 30 minutes to reach the airport and faced additional delays at security before accessing the aircraft. AP reported that a Virgin Australia spokesperson confirmed that the flight was delayed by approximately two hours. Live Events The snake is believed to have boarded the aircraft inside a passenger's luggage during the flight from Brisbane to Melbourne. Quarantine rules prevent the animal from being released back into the wild. Now in the care of a Melbourne veterinarian, the protected species will be rehomed with a licensed snake keeper.
