Mice on a Plane
Reuters is reporting that this past Tuesday, Chinese inspectors found eight mice (dead and alive) on a United Airlines aircraft. The airline had reported the unwelcome stowaways to local quarantine officials upon landing in Beijing Sunday after a flight from Washington, D.C.
The report prompted an “emergency team” to rush the aircraft to put rat poison and mouse traps at every possible corner of the aircraft including the cockpit. The inspectors said that eight mice were found (dead and alive) hidden in pillows onboard the aircraft.
As would be expected, the media had a field day talking about the dozens of fatal viruses that the mice can spread and the risk posed from mice chewing through aircraft wiring and circuits.
In a statement, United Airlines said, “We are taking this matter seriously and have begun a full investigation with the authorities to determine how this happened and ensure it is resolved.”
I have been to Washington, D.C. before, and I can’t help but think that the passengers of that flight are lucky that it was mice that snuck onboard the flight and not some of those huge rats that scurry around D.C. at night.
You can read the entire Reuters article here.
Thanks for reading.
Joe Escobar
Joe
Back in the sixties we had a snag from the incoming Skipper on a L188A Electra complaining about mice in the galley.
After finding none, we signed it off as “no action taken due to there being no licensed cats available”.
Regards
John Washbrooke
FAvnA
Mice in the cabin, people in the wheel wells…things happen
Maybe they were there to be sacrificed for the next pilot squawk…or is that supposed to be a goat, I forget
Joe,
I remember an incident many years ago in Tucson. A 727 had to be tarped and fumigated by the local pest control company because the level of rats, mice, cockroaches and other yeech animals, was so high that no one would work on the plane. The comedy was that as soon as the poison started to flow all the critters fled. Right into the hangar and the offices! A day in the life of a ramp rat!
They were found “dead and alive?” Joe, where I come from it’s usually one or the other, very seldom both. Did United attempt to get them to pay for the trip, or were they employees? One thing to remember: Mice tend to propagate where they have a regular food supply. Think about that next time you’re asked, “Chicken, Pasta or Rodent?”
Hmm… not surprised at all. Since Untied outsourced their cabin cleaners, the level of stuff left behind has increased while the washing of stuff has decreased. I bring my own blanket when I travel (and I work there!!) and have had wars over it because somebody else just decided since it was sitting on the seat, it must be a Untied one. I’ve found more than one half eaten sandwich in a seat pocket on a plane that was just “cleaned”. Makes you want to shake all your stuff outside after every trip, doesn’t it? And yes, I’m saying “Untied” on purpose!!