News
Ripples the cat sends ripples of angst on AC flight
Jan. 25, 2012, Halifax - A cat escape caused a four-hour delay for an Air Canada flight today as airline staff in Halifax struggled to get the feline from its hiding place in cockpit wiring.
January 25, 2012 By The Canadian Press
Peter Spurway, vice-president of communications at the Halifax airport, said a cat named Ripples managed to escape its carry-on pet container during boarding and sprinted through the passenger area into the cockpit.
A chase ensued but the frightened animal wormed its way into an inaccessible area of wiring underneath panels in the cockpit.
Boarding of the aircraft was stopped and passengers left the plane as technicians took apart pieces of the aircraft to safely remove the cat.
The flight left Halifax for Toronto at about 10 a.m. rather than its scheduled time of 5:40 a.m., though Spurway says he wasn't sure if the cat was still on board.
Spurway says it was the only time he knows of that a cat has got loose in a plane's cabin, although dogs sometimes escape from their containers in the luggage cabin and then bolt upon arrival.
