A Sudanese airline Tarco flight departed from Khartoum International Airport to the capital Doha, Qatar, on February 24 as normal. Half an hour into the flight, a surprise occurred when an “unregistered passenger,” a ferocious cat, was discovered inside the pilot’s cabin, causing an emergency mid-air, according to local news agency Al-Sudani.
The cat apparently did not like flying as it was very aggressive and attacked the crew. After all attempts to restrain the “furry hijacker” failed, the pilot decided to turn the plane around and return to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.
A Sudanese airline Tarco plane was attacked by a cat.
Investigating the unusual story, Al-Sudani news agency learned that the plane had spent the night in a hangar at Khartoum airport before the flight. Their sources suggested that it was possible that the cat had sneaked onto the plane during a cleaning or technical inspection and had hidden inside the cabin, causing a disturbance for the pilots.
The incident may sound puzzling, but this isn't the first time cats have attempted to "hijack" a plane.
In 2004, a Belgian plane with 62 people on board was forced to return to Brussels after a “travel” cat named Gin went berserk in the cockpit, after an unexplained escape from a travel bag. The stressed cat sneaked into the cockpit while the crew were being served a meal and then became “very aggressive and scratched the pilot,” leading to the unscheduled landing.
In 2004, a Belgian plane also had to make an emergency landing because of a "hijacked" cat.
In 2004, a cat attack occurred on the national carrier of Bangladesh. A pilot had to be treated after being mauled by a stray cat en route to Dhaka. However, the crew decided to complete the flight despite the danger. The "attacker" then managed to elude security and was only arrested at the airport a few hours later.
In 2013, a Saudi Arabian cargo flight from Riyadh to Hong Kong was aborted at the last moment after the pilot started the engine, scaring a stowaway – and costing the pilot a few scratches. Local media reported that the cat was never found.
