Crabs escape on flight, cause delay

A flight from New York to Charlotte in America was delayed when live crabs escaped in the cargo hold of the U.S. Airways passenger jet.

The plane, which was scheduled to leave at 7pm on Thursday, was delayed by 30 minutes when cabin crew discovered the crustaceans, the Charlotte Observer reports.

Flight 890 took off after the crabs were rounded up.

According to ABC News, an airline spokesman said the flight was delayed due to "some seafood cargo problems".

Passengers took to Twitter to write about the incident.

One wrote: "Can't make this stuff up. Flight delayed cuz live crabs got loose in cargo bin. Have to catch crabs before we can board plane. Seriously."

Another flyer said: "'Ladies and gentlemen your flight is delayed b/c a box of live crabs spilled out in the cargo bin during flight' @USAirways how is this real".


Earlier this year, an inquest heard how a plane crash that killed a British pilot in the Democratic Republic of Congo was caused by a two-foot crocodile that escaped on board.

A coroner's court heard that Chris Wilson, 49, died along with 18 others when the Let-410 he was flying plunged to the ground.

The only survivor claims panicked passengers stampeded towards the cockpit on the small plane after the crocodile escaped.

Belgian pilot, Danny Philemotte, 62, was also killed.

The inquest in Gloucester was told how a passenger had brought the crocodile onto the flight in a sports bag.

Assistant coroner David Dooley read out an email from Wilson's father Rob to officials in Congo.

"There is apparently a video of the crocodile being taken out of the plane," he said.

"They think it may have frightened the cabin crew member and she ran forward, with the other passengers following.

"The weight shift caused by the panic may have affected the plane causing it to nose dive or stall."

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