A terrifying loose snake on a plane sparked utter chaos as passengers on board 'shrieked' in fear without hero, Samuel L. Jackson star from 'Snakes on a plane' present this time to rescue them.
The United Airlines flight which departed from Tampa International Airport in Florida touched down in New York on the afternoon of October, 17 as cabin crew were seen running to the business class section to avoid their slithery surprise passenger.
Fortunately, the reptile was entirely harmless as it was a non poisonous garter snake which was unknown to terrified passengers on board the aircraft who had lifted their feet up in horror according to witnesses.
The garden snake was captured as it slid across the aisles from business class to economy and animal authorities were informed so everyone could quickly exit the plane after it landed, the Daily Star reports.
Following the panicked disruption, Port Authority staff at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) came on board the United Airlines flight 2038 to remove the creature which had snuck onboard among passengers at Tampa airport earlier that day.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesperson Cheryl Ann Albiez told Reuters that the snake was later released into the wild, having travelled 1,120 miles north up the coast of the eastern United States.
There were no injuries, no impact to airport operations, and the plane later departed Newark, she said. A spokesperson for United Airlines said crew members had "called the appropriate authorities to take care of the situation" after being alerted by passengers.
It is not yet known how snake ended up on the commercial airline flight. The incident has sparked inevitable online comparisons with the 2006 cult film Snakes on a Plane, where an agent played by Samuel L Johnson attempts to rescue a passenger flight from deliberately released venomous snakes.
An amused commenter on Twitter wrote "I feel like Samuel L Jackson was there somehow", while another joked "it's a slightly different plot than last time." Other users suggested the escaped snake represented their worst fears, writing: "That’s why there is an emergency door. I’d be outta there."
The incident prompted different feelings in snake lovers however, with one person asking why people were so afraid of a "harmless gardener".
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