back to article Airline passenger videos Atlanta maggot horror

A shaken passenger has recounted how a US Airways flight from Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina, was temporarily grounded on Monday by maggots. Donna Adamo explained that fellow flyer Desiree Harrell noticed said creatures falling from an overhead locker, and declined to take her seat. Adamo, though, did park her arse and " …

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  1. Lionel Baden

    eww

    I wouldnt want to fly on that plane

    But i bet their trying to find as many ways of suiing the flight as possible !!!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "their"?

      Interesting use of 'their". Better than 'there', perhaps, or perhaps not, but 'they're' would have been so much nicer to read.

      (I won't even start on "suiing"....)

      And how do you even sue a flight? The airline perhaps would be a better target.

      Oh it's wrong, all wrong!

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    disappointing

    That was only one maggot! I was hoping for so much more....

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Where is

    Samuel L Jackson?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Coat

      Rubbish

      The films from the US are getting worse and worse. That was a poor remake of Snakes on a Plane.

      /Mines the one with the wriggly sandwich in the pocket.

  4. Minophis
    Thumb Down

    I admire independent film making but....

    the production values on that remake of 'Snakes on a Plane' was just awful.

  5. Bit Brain
    Joke

    I doubt I'll be the first to post this…

    Enough is enough! I have had it with these motherfucking maggots on this motherfucking plane!

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "The horror. The horror."

    Never miss an opportunity to quote Kurtz. Anyway, it was just a (or a few) maggot nothing like body snatchers. Well, one might argue that's just what they do, what they did with the rotten meat.

  7. 46Bit
    Badgers

    Ha

    No doubt all those people quoted are trying to find a lawyer willing to invent a case for this.

  8. Anomalous Cowturd
    WTF?

    FFS, it's only a few maggots, they can't kill you. Not like snakes!

    Us fishermen put them in our mouth to rouse them from their refrigerated torpor.

    "It looked like it was ten inches long in my lap"

    Sheesh.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Paris Hilton

      ten inches long

      You wish...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Joke

        Some one has been telling the poor girl porkies

        This is why women are very bad at judging distance

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Flame

      Depends which ones

      The ones they have in the south of USA and north of Mexico can actually burrow in skin and cause some serious problems. They ended up having to have a special program to release millions of sterilised flies into the wild each year to reduce the damage to livestock (and humans).

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterile_insect_technique

      Atlanta AFAIK is outside the screw-worm fly main area. However, I cannot blame anyone who has seen what these can do wanting to stay away from it.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Title Required

    If vile things on aircraft make your stomach churn.. never drink coffee, water etc on board an airliner unless you know it came out of a bottle.

    The water tanks, despite being regular disinfected are another world!

  10. lglethal Silver badge
    WTF?

    I love americans...

    It was another passenger, that for some unknown reason, brought a container of maggotty, rotten meat on a plane in (an obviously) unsealed container and placed it in the overhead luggage compatment. And so the other passengers are trying to sue the airline...

    Gotta love the average americans logic, dont you?

    What i would really be interested to know is how this package got through security in the first place, considering the level of hysterical paranoia associated with any flying in the US! I guess security were too busy perving on the full body scanners to pay much attention to the carry on luggage...

    & I suppose that raises another point - who on Earth carries meat on an aircraft in their carry on luggage? And more so who carries rotting meat anywhere???

    1. peter 45

      Or........

      It could be that someone had left some meat meat (burger, beef sandwich etc) and the aircraft had not been cleaned for so long that it had rotted.

      Either way, Ug

      1. petronivs

        time spent

        "the aircraft had not been cleaned for so long that it had rotted"

        No; just long enough for the maggots to hatch from eggs and feed, which could be as little as half a day in a warm airplane, depending on what kind of fly these maggots were larvae of. The meat didn't need to be rotten, just warm enough for the maggots to hatch and be active.

        1. lglethal Silver badge
          Alert

          Guys check other news sources...

          It actually states on other news sources that it was another passenger that brought on the rotting meat. No i have yet to find a reason why. But the BBC was kind enough to elaborate that the person who did bring it on, did not make the flight when it eventually did take off (im guessing they were answering some very interesting questions at airport security), but that they did manage to fly on a later flight. Its also not clear whether the meat made the later flight or not...

          Come on El Reg use those investigative juices, the people want answers! :P

          1. Jim Bob
            Troll

            Hang on a minute...

            "... But the BBC was kind enough to elaborate that the person who did bring it on, did not make the flight when it eventually did take off ..."

            Does this mean a passenger got on the plane, put their bags in the overhead locker and then got off again? WTF?

            I could understand checked luggage making on to a plane without the passenger but carry-on?...

            "(im guessing they were answering some very interesting questions at airport security)"

            And if the passenger was stuck at security, where would their bag be? ;o)

            1. lglethal Silver badge
              Boffin

              @ Jim Bob

              The plane returned to the terminal after the discovery of the maggots, all of the passengers got off the plane, the crew cleaned the aircraft and then the passengers got back on and took off (except for the maggot passenger of course). I can only assume that the passengers were told to take there carry on luggage with them when they got off the plane. That would have also meant that one of the chuckers (sorry: baggage handlers) would have had to go on board and remove the maggot passenger's checked in luggage from the aircraft as your luggage is not allowed to fly if your not on the plane as well...

              @ Peyton - it says on the BBC article that the woman was planning to sue the airline. The information might not have been in the reg article but that doesnt mean it didnt happen...

              1. peyton?

                re @peyton

                Care to post the link? This one does not have that piece of the story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10474075.stm

      2. Charlie Clark Silver badge
        Thumb Down

        er

        How do you expect the maggots to get onto such food? Any eggs laid are highly unlikely to survive the cooking process.

        Besides the fact that before the maggots could hatch the smell of rotting protein is likely to have alerted or offended someone first. Anyone remember The Spark's stinky meat project?

    2. Apocalypse Later

      Why oh why?

      People routinely fail to realize when meat has had fly eggs deposited on it. It doesn't have to be rotten or even "off" for that to happen. The eggs are not large or particularly noticeable (unless you know what you are looking for) and are generally laid in a crevice or under an edge. It doesn't take long for them to develop into a mass of maggots.

      And that is probably why I was once served a prawn salad in a restaurant that was alive and writhing (when I pointed it out to the waiter, he asked if I would like to order something else).

    3. Alan Esworthy
      IT Angle

      Who?

      You ask "who on Earth carries meat on an aircraft in their carry on luggage?"

      http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/apr/06/women-arrested-smuggle-body-plane

      The story doesn't say whether "Uncle Tod" was maggot-infested or not.

    4. peyton?
      Flame

      I love commentards

      It was an article, that for some unknown reason, made no mention of law suits. And so the commentard has to make up something to post about.

      Gotta love the average commentard logic, dont you?

      I can't help but wonder what this ability - to read what is not there - is called? Hyperliteracy maybe?

    5. ravenviz Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: food on planes

      I brought a takeaway burger in George Bush Airport Houston on a Friday but couldn't eat it after the fries stuffed me so I took it in its box onto the plane, flew to London, went home, put it in the fridge, a bit peckish Tuesday, so there it was, delicious! Anyway I could easily have left it in the overhead locker to get all icky, some cabin crew aren't very tall and they're only really looking for big bags, not something neutral coloured and flat. Maybe...

  11. Mr Young
    Thumb Up

    Phew!

    Glad to hear it wasn't mice - don't they like nibbling wiring for some strange reason? Not a good idea in a plane I would say? Alternatively - I've heard maggots are pretty good at cleaning fleshy wounds.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Boffin

      Mice

      gnaw on wire to keep their front teeth short also copper pipe, plastic pipes conduit etc are just as likely. Serious pests especially on an aircraft.

      If they dont, the front teeth grow over the bottom jaw and the mouse is unable to feed and dies of starvation.

  12. Peter H. Coffin
    Boffin

    Living flesh?

    Hardly. They've got such a disposition to necrotic tissue that they're used to clean up gangrene because they WON'T burrow into living flesh. Oogie they may be, but they're very far down on the "harmful" scale of things involving air travel.

    1. Geoffrey W

      Never underestimate

      As another commenter already said, the southern USA is home to the screw-worm fly, whose maggots do exactly that. Never underestimate mother nature. She's wonderful!

    2. JimC
      Thumb Down

      Without wanting to gross out everyone...

      It depends on the patricular species of fly involved. There are plenty of choices.

  13. Daniel Wilkie
    Flame

    "maggots can burrow into a body and cause internal problems".

    I'm sorry, what?

    Besides, surely the blame lies with the passenger, not the airline... Fire, because it's the best way.

    1. BristolBachelor Gold badge
      Boffin

      Cochliomyia hominivorax

      You will be wanting to get some Cochliomyia hominivorax. Nasty little buggers...

  14. Jolyon Ralph

    Sigh. more needless regulations on the way.

    Not content with banning liquids and anything sharp (I REFUSE to use 'sharp' as a noun), no doubt they'll now ban people from taking rotten meat onto airplanes.

    1. Mike Moyle
      Coat

      They call me MISTER Title!

      "I REFUSE to use 'sharp' as a noun"

      A curious phobia, that... Unfortunate experience in music class back in your school days, perhaps...?

      1. James Hughes 1

        Sharps

        In common use as a noun, in hospitals, to denote anything, er, sharp, that needs to be disposed of appropriately.

    2. DZ-Jay

      Re: sharp as a noun?

      I'm curious, how does anybody use 'sharp' as a noun?

      -dZ.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        For exmaple

        I gave that sharp a kick to the blunts.

      2. ravenviz Silver badge
        Boffin

        Re[2]: sharp as a noun?

        Yes, in medicine you have a "sharps" bin to safely dispose of used needles, knife blades, etc. Actually you also see said bins in some public toilets, you know, the ones with the purple lights.

  15. Hooch181
    Joke

    Hell...

    beats normal inflight meals!

  16. The_Police!
    Coat

    Maggots on a Plane!

    "WE NEED TO GET SOMETHING BETWEEN US AND THEM!"

    *SCREAM SCREAM*

    Land safely. ahh! phew!

  17. /\/\j17

    "When they're on your lap they look like they're 10" long"

    Bad luck love, your boyfriend's been lying to you all this time.

    That ISN'T 6"...

  18. John 62
    Coat

    those are

    pretty small snakes.

    spoiled meat? or maybe the captain's weekend fishing bait got loose.

  19. Phil Arundell 1
    Coat

    "They look like they're 10 inches long"

    It sounds like her boyfriend has been guilty of some pretty major exaggeration if she thinks a maggot looks 10 inches long ...

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Not news

    Or at least this wouldn't be news if they didn't have someone on the plane with the footage. The sub-ed saw the footage and decided to go for it. We'd never have heard of it without the phonecam footage.

    Such is the world.

    Meanwhile, in Palestine/somewhere unphotogenic...

    1. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: Not news

      You don't know what a sub-ed does. Otherwise, excellent world-weary comment with hand clutched theatrically to brow and eyes a-roll. First rate.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Coat

      Re: Not news

      "Meanwhile, in Palestine/somewhere unphotogenic..."

      Yeah but the merkins don't care about that...

  21. Chris Harrison
    Joke

    New Ryan Air pricing initiative

    Hope ryan air don't read this article.

    Next you'll be paying extra for a seat that isn't maggot infested.

    1. Field Marshal Von Krakenfart

      Icon usage

      Why did you use the joke alert icon??????

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ryanair...

    I bet Ryanair would charge them as an inflight meal.

  23. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    That NSFW link

    was titled "Beautiful Women Of Wrestling" - they should look into suing that lot for mis-representation!

  24. Doug Glass
    Go

    The Next Blockbuster

    Air Maggot or Maggots On A Plane or special for Mr. Obumma ... Maggot One.

  25. hi_robb
    Alert

    Err

    The maggots were only trying to fly

    Gets coat and exits --------------->

    D

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Yes, they can burrow

    To the fly/maggot experts here, yes, some maggots can and do burrow into live flesh. Anyone that's seen a pet rabbit hit by fly strike can confirm that...

  27. Doug Glass
    Go

    TV Show

    Andrew Zimmern needs to notifies immediately.

  28. mky

    Was the passenger

    A martini for James Bond? Shaken and not stirred.

  29. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    I wouldn't want to fly with a passenger like that *

    ...or either, to frequent such a news agency as would sensationalize this incident for purpose of news ratings.

    Someone screwed up, stored a hunk of spoiled meat stuff on the plane, people got grossed out with the maggots that followed - that's news?

    * But please, let's *not* start trying to profile people about that? Thxbai

  30. b166er
    FAIL

    What a bint

    no wonder she's a former news anchor, maggots don't 'drip'. WTF is an 'overhead recorder' ?

    I mean 'they MOVE and they move quickly'

  31. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This is a title, fool!

    You know, over here you can't bring even a bottle of water with you on a plane. So over there in terrist-scare-central they let you take livestock? And they call themselves civilised? What?

  32. JaitcH
    Pint

    How dumb does US Airways think passengers are?

    Given how paranoid the thieving employees of TSA are it is practically impossible that it "was caused by a passenger who brought a container of spoiled meat onto the plane" as TSA would have found it first.

    Likely it was airline food, a recent report from the U.S. FDA that has condemned many airline 'kitchens' reporting all manner of extreme violations of hygiene rules, rodents, etc.

    In saying it was a passenger, US Airways demonstrates just how delusioned it is as overhead lockers are checked after each flight for stuff left behind by PAX.

    Besides the smell would have alerted any decent airline. US Air was the carrier that allowed a Vietnamese pot bellied pig to travel in the cabin when the owner/passenger said it was like a dog to her!

  33. DZ-Jay

    My favorite comment

    From the readers' comments below the story, my favorite one is:

    "It sure gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "carrion luggage" doesn't it?"

    Priceless.

    -dZ.

  34. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    All that fuss over a 20 minute flight?

    Good lord, had they been properly liquored up they wouldn't have stampeded like that. Even if one gets through security and makes it to the closest bard during the first boarding call, there's still ample time time for at least 6 rum & cokes. If you're riding in first class on such a short flight, you still have time to choke down 2 or 3 martini's before the plane takes off.

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