Can you think of the wildest thing that can go wrong in a flight? Well, a recent incident that took place in an aircraft might surprise you to no bounds. It so happened that a bear ran amok on a passenger plane after it broke free of its cage in the cargo hold, which was right before the aircraft took off from Dubai last week.
Reports have it that passengers were terrified because of this, and had to be evacuated after the animal escaped on an Iraqi Airways plane flying between Baghdad International Airport and Dubai International Airport on August 4.
Reportedly, the flight arrived in Dubai, and was supposed to travel back to Baghdad, when crews got to know about the bear that had broken out of its shipping crate, which led to the delaying of the flight as authorities dispatched animal control specialists.
Then on, the return flight to the Iraqi capital got delayed by 3 hours and 30 min, while some footage is circulating on social media, which captured the audio of the plane’s captain wherein he is heard apologising to passengers for the disruption to their journey.
Another video that was recorded by a ground crew member, showing the bear wandering within the cargo. The footage also shows a staff member who managed to pet the beast’s head, and calm it down.
Iraqi Airways apologised to its passengers, although it added that it was not to be blamed for the animal’s escape. The airline also added that the bear’s transport was carried out in accordance with the law, and that standard procedures have been followed.
Iraqi Airways also stated, “The administration of the company apologises to the travellers of the flight from Baghdad International Airport to Dubai Airport… for reasons beyond the control of the company, regarding a shipment [a bear] in the cargo hold.”
It stated that upon arrival at Dubai Airport, the animal escaped the crate specified for its shipment. The plane crew coordinated with UAE’s authority who sent a specialised team to sedate the animal and take it off the plane.