There were dead mice in the oxygen masks, live mice under the seats and mice feces "throughout the whole aircraft," a whistle blower has told our Gannett colleagues at KSDK-TV in St. Louis about an American Airlines Boeing 767 that was brought there for maintenance.
In a video report you can watch here, the tipster tells KSDK that 900 to 1,000 mice may have been onboard. He also gave the station video he took with a hidden camera. The airline, in a written statement, said it found 17 live mice. (You can read KSDK's story here.)
According to KSDK, American kept flying the jet even after the first mice were discovered.
A safety expert tells the TV station that mice are a serious hazard because of the potential damage they can do to communications gear and controls.
As serious and disturbing as this news is, we know someone's going to make the connection if we don't. So here goes: Maybe this whole thing could have been prevented if they had some Snakes on a Plane.
Update at 11:30 a.m. ET, July 13: A reader e-mailed us to say that KSHB-TV in Kansas City had the story first. He's right. Here's a link to that station's report, which adds that there's evidence of some 20 plane crashes in recent years that were caused in part by damage done to the aircraft by rodents.
Read the comments
Might not sound too serious at first, but after thinking... What if the mice chewed the wires or anything? That's gonna cause another airplane accident. Plus, I wonder how they have mice on plane... Everything related to plane seems so secure and sanitary.
Anyway, don't forget to read the comments to this news... Lots of negative comments about American Airlines.
Wow, that is sad. The last time I heard a movie or preview getting a standing ovation was the Passion of the Christ. Who would've thought a movie title would create a cult following?
