Sneaky Pigeons Delay Delta Flight From Minneapolis to Madison Not Once, But Twice

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A Delta flight preparing to depart Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for Madison, Wisconsin, was delayed twice after two pigeons were found flying inside the cabin at different times.

According to an Instagram post from passenger Tom Caw (@cawtom), the crazy series of events began when someone alerted a flight attendant that a pigeon was on the plane.

"The pilot got on the mic and confirmed a pigeon was on the plane," Caw wrote, "and said he had no experience with this situation."

Baggage handlers boarded and removed the bird. "People applauded. A young girl asked if she could pet it."

As the plane resumed taxiing, "another pigeon emerged!" Caw captured the second bird on video flying through the cabin. "It was caught, and we returned to the gate."

When the pilot radioed the control tower, "the guy said that was a first for him," Caw wrote. "Pilot told him it was the second time for him — the first being half an hour earlier."

The second pigeon was also safely removed. Caw joked: "My guess is the pigeons were tired of flying and wanted snacks. They didn’t know this flight to MSN is too short for Delta to offer beverage/snack service."