Traveling around the holidays is always a roll of the dice, but I am guessing that you didn’t have ‘Plane grounded because of hamster infestation’ on your bingo card, did you? (And before you ask, no, Samuel L Jackson has nothing to do with this story).
Well, that was the case on a plane that was grounded in Portugal when it was discovered that 132 hamsters had escaped their confinement in the cargo hold.
The TAP Air Portugal flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgado Airport was fully loaded with passengers, baggage and crew, and it took off uneventfully just like any other plane. But once the flight was airborne, it was discovered that a package in cargo containing 132 hamsters had popped open, and the furry friends were making their way through the plane.
The aircraft immediately turned around and returned to the airport, as the pilots were worried that the rodents could start chewing on wires and causing some major malfunctions with the plane. Once the plane landed, it was discovered that a passenger had brought along hamsters, birds and even some ferrets for a pet store delivery when they landed.
It took crews five days to comb through the plane, find all 132 hamsters and inspect the plane for any damage that they might have done. The good news is that once the crew finished up their work, the plane was deemed airworthy and made its way back to Lisbon — this time, with no hamsters onboard.
Wood is host of the Taste of Country Mornings With Wood and Nicole, which can be heard every morning from 6-10AM CT on the Taste of Country app, on local affiliates where available and online at tasteofcountry.com.
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
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