[size=14pt]Snake on a plane: reptile clings to aircraft wing for 500 mile flight[/size]

A passenger on board a Qantas flight from Australia to Papua New Guinea films the surprise stowaway clinging to the engine of the twin-propeller plane.

The three metre-long non-poisonous Amethystine python appeared about an hour into the Qantas flight between Cairns in northern Queensland, Australia and the Papua New Guinean capital of Port Moresby on Thursday.

"Halfway to Papua New Guinea passengers reported seeing a snake clinging to the wing," a Qantas spokesman said of the snake, which is also known as a scrub python and can grow to as much as 8.5 metres (28ft) long.

The slithery stowaway was believed to have crawled onto the plane from scrubland or mangroves that surround the airport in tropical Cairns.

Qantas said there was no impact on the safe operation of the aircraft due to the snake's presence. The Bombardier Q400 was cleared to resume flying after it landed in Port Moresby.

The snake, unfortunately, was found dead on arrival.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/9795040/Snake-on-a-plane-reptile-clings-to-aircraft-wing-for-500-mile-flight.html

poor snake, may it rest in peace