Community Corner
Snake On A Plane Taken From Flight At NJ Airport, Port Authority Says
An unwelcome stowaway on a New Jersey-bound flight was removed by Port Authority officials Monday afternoon.
NEWARK, NJ - A snake on the loose on a New Jersey-bound flight spooked passengers on the runway at Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday, according to Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials.
The unwelcome stowaway was discovered as United Airlines flight 2038 landed on the tarmac around 1:17 p.m., a Port Authority spokesperson told Patch. Port Authority police officers removed the snake from the plane.
"Immediately upon arriving at the gate, EWR Ops and PAPD were on scene and removed the garden snake," the spokesperson said in an email.
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No injuries or impacts to operations were reported.
Newsweek reports that the reptile was identified as a garter snake, a harmless and non-venomous variety of serpent. Herpetologist Graham Alexander told the publication that passengers were “worked up over nothing.”
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United Airlines flight 2038 departed Tampa International Airport around 10:45 a.m. on Monday, according to FlightAware.
It’s unclear how the snake wound up on the aircraft.
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