Stowaway squirrel grounds jet

[Hatu]

HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) -- An American Airlines flight made an unscheduled landing after pilots heard something skittering about in the wire-laden space over the cockpit.

The airline blamed the emergency landing of the Tokyo-Dallas flight with 202 passengers on a stowaway squirrel.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/15/stowaway....l.ap/index.html

 

[Hopeful]

HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) -- An American Airlines flight made an unscheduled landing after pilots heard something skittering about in the wire-laden space over the cockpit.

The airline blamed the emergency landing of the Tokyo-Dallas flight with 202 passengers on a stowaway squirrel.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/15/stowaway....l.ap/index.html

They sent some mechanics from LAX on a field trip to HNL.
Local authorities set traps and they caught the little ......you know what! But I understand that some wiring, including window heat wires were chewed up. An in depth inspection was scheduled after it ferried out of there!

 

[FWAAA]

They sent some mechanics from LAX on a field trip to HNL.
Local authorities set traps and they caught the little ......you know what! But I understand that some wiring, including window heat wires were chewed up. An in depth inspection was scheduled after it ferried out of there!

Holy Cow! That could be tragic!

What with all the rats/mice and squirrels on board, maybe AA should do like sailors have done for hundreds of years and take on some kitty cats. THAT should solve the rodent problem. B)

 

[eolesen]

I'm sure that there are more than a few senior FA's who wouldn't mind bringing their cats along to work....

 

[AAStew]

I'm sure that there are more than a few senior FA's who wouldn't mind bringing their cats along to work....

You are nasty. You really shouldn't be posting at work you know. Someone may out you on this board.

 

[TWskyliner]

I'm sure that there are more than a few senior FA's who wouldn't mind bringing their cats along to work....

I thought that was funny....Hey nothing wrong with being a cat rancher...LOL

 

[boxer]

Have you ever tried herding cats?

 

[jwp767]

Have you ever tried herding cats?

Yes I have........
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6572941025419743765

 

[BuffaloJoe]

Holy Cow! That could be tragic!

What with all the rats/mice and squirrels on board, maybe AA should do like sailors have done for hundreds of years and take on some kitty cats. THAT should solve the rodent problem. B)

Can't put the cats on the China flights. They may be the in-flight meal on the way back.

 

[eolesen]

You are nasty. You really shouldn't be posting at work you know. Someone may out you on this board.

Personally, I don't give a crap if anyone outs me. I don't work for AA therefore aren't subject to Puritanical law.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Personally, I don't give a crap if anyone outs me. I don't work for AA therefore aren't subject to Puritanical law.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

FM,

DO I DETECT a bit of ACRIMONY directed towards your FORMER employer ????????????????

NH/BB's

 

[Vortilon]

Personally, I don't give a crap if anyone outs me. I don't work for AA therefore aren't subject to Puritanical law.

Puritans in AA management? Maybe the political correctness police would be more appropriate.

 

[Wretched Wrench]

Squirrel? Hah!

I suspect that was not an Eastern Gray Squirrel. It was, rather, a Potemkin Squirrel, otherwise known as a lab rat. Strictly an invention of AA PR.

AA is not comfortable with the public knowing there are rats on board, even such aggreeable little critters as lab rats. Some of our airplanes have them living aboard. They escape from shipments. In the lower galley of 747s, I would look in the mirror over the sink and see one looking at me now and then. I have heard them at night on a quiet airplane, and have found one who died while chewing on the wire I was tracing. Lots of wires are chewed by them. I found a screwdriver with a rubber grip that had been chewed all the way around by a small rodent.

There are also regular rats in our hangar and around the terminal. The company sets out traps in both areas, but to little effect, it appears. In our tool box room, we use our own money to buy sticky pads to keep them under control. Since airport security has make me afraid to bring in a pellet gun any more, I use an air hose blow gun with a long tube barrel to launch a small screw at them. Not accurate, but sometimes I get one.

As far as cats, I have never heard one, but I have heard reports of someone hearing a cat meowing inside a darkened quiet airplane.

 

[Skymess]

Squirrel? Hah!

I suspect that was not an Eastern Gray Squirrel. It was, rather, a Potemkin Squirrel, otherwise known as a lab rat. Strictly an invention of AA PR.

AA is not comfortable with the public knowing there are rats on board, even such aggreeable little critters as lab rats. Some of our airplanes have them living aboard. They escape from shipments. In the lower galley of 747s, I would look in the mirror over the sink and see one looking at me now and then. I have heard them at night on a quiet airplane, and have found one who died while chewing on the wire I was tracing. Lots of wires are chewed by them. I found a screwdriver with a rubber grip that had been chewed all the way around by a small rodent.

There are also regular rats in our hangar and around the terminal. The company sets out traps in both areas, but to little effect, it appears. In our tool box room, we use our own money to buy sticky pads to keep them under control. Since airport security has make me afraid to bring in a pellet gun any more, I use an air hose blow gun with a long tube barrel to launch a small screw at them. Not accurate, but sometimes I get one.

As far as cats, I have never heard one, but I have heard reports of someone hearing a cat meowing inside a darkened quiet airplane.

The 767 that finally got taken out of service used to have sticky traps all over the place. They figured that they would put the sticky traps instead of poison so they didn't die in the walls and stink up the plane.

One day a man was deplaning with the sticky trap caught on the Louis Vuitton garment bag he had in the closet. My friend reached out and ripped it off as she made like she was patting him on the back while saying thank you on his way out.

 

[PurduePete]

HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) -- An American Airlines flight made an unscheduled landing after pilots heard something skittering about in the wire-laden space over the cockpit.

The airline blamed the emergency landing of the Tokyo-Dallas flight with 202 passengers on a stowaway squirrel.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/15/stowaway....l.ap/index.html

I don't mean to hijack your thread, but this story reminds me of an incident that occurred with one of our aircraft at NW in MKE during the summer of '05 (before the strike )...

We had an A320 that came in for its RON with a several-day old MEL on its aft cargo door. The door would not open electrically - it had to be opened manually every time the cargo compartment was used.

After finishing the line check, one of the mechanics begins to troubleshoot the problem with the cargo door and determines that it must be a problem with the wiring (for those of you not familiar with the A320, there is a control panel for the door on the body fairing just forward of the door cutout).

Anyway, the mechanic removes an access panel between the outer surface of the fairing and the fuselage to check the wiring to the door control switch, and finds the problem - a large (and by then freeze-dried) raccoon had somehow got up there and disturbed the wiring.