Snake rattles solo pilot in Mississippi

Yahoo News ^ | Aug 24 2007 | AP

[stm]

BROOKHAVEN, Miss. - It was no movie moment when a physician, flying himself across Mississippi in a one-seat plane, discovered a stowaway — a gray rat snake.

Dr. Ed Carruth discovered the snake-on-a-plane when it began "licking" his arm Thursday, he told The Daily Leader of Brookhaven.

"I've been flying planes for 50 years and over 14,000 hours, and this is the most unusual in-flight emergency I've encountered," he said. "I guess it wasn't exactly an emergency, but I did almost hurt myself when I saw it."

Needing to fly the plane and lacking tools to get rid of the snake, "I did some aerobatics," Carruth said. "And once he got oriented, he went to the back of the plane."

When Carruth arrived at Brookhaven Municipal Airport after his flight from Meridian, officials called a snake expert to remove the reptile. It's not uncommon for snakes to live in airplane hangars, said Joey Pradillo, the expert.

"The snakes are in there after the mice. And the hangar is cool on the inside, and that's why he was in there in the first place," he said. Pradillo released the snake into the wild.

[Jaysun]

I get creeped-out by spiders.

Me too. And I don't give a damn what kind they are.

[rawhide]

Some democrats are the same way about guns! Your logic is no different! Time to gird your loins and find your balls!

Sorry, I will not give in and change my tune about snakes. I just hate snakes!!!!! I always have and I always will! They give me the creeps!!!!! I know that not every snake is poisonous, but since I cannot tell nor do I care to learn, I just assume they all are!

The only good snake is a dead snake!

BTW, I have all the balls I need. And you are wrong about the dims hating guns. They love guns, as long as they are the only ones that can have control over them.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping.

[dixiechick2000]

*Shudder* ping!

Don’t know about all y’all,
but all snakes creep me out.

[B4Ranch]

Annually, spray a small section of the carpet with bug spray and snakes will stay out of your aircraft. They hate the taste, smell, of the chemicals.

[stainlessbanner]

Just saw a show where this ol boy was searching for "chicken-eating spiders" in the Amazon rain forest .
Shoved a little camera down a burrow - turned out to be a den of spiders. The biggest one was 8 inches across and came out to attack the camera. You could actually see his two fangs clamp down.

[petitfour]

Is this guy related to Paul Ott Carruth?

RTR :)

[smug]

They give me the creeps!!!!!

I too do not understand your having a fear of snakes. Especially since there are real things to fear like flying.

[stm]

I’ve had my share of them as pets, including venomous ones. Right now I have a 4’ and a 1.5’ ball python. Cool animals and very docile, unless you are a rodent of course

[LibLieSlayer]

I remember him!

LLS

[gulfcoast6]

Nope, but being thousands of feet in the air it could just as well be a rattlesnake.

[gulfcoast6]

But they would feel at home with snakes, huh?

[Jaysun]

Just saw a show where this ol boy was searching for "chicken-eating spiders" in the Amazon rain forest . Shoved a little camera down a burrow - turned out to be a den of spiders. The biggest one was 8 inches across and came out to attack the camera. You could actually see his two fangs clamp down.

Oh my God. The very idea makes me sick. I'd be tempted to fill the whole with gasoline and light it.

[dixiechick2000]

I have no idea.

The only things I know about him is that he’s from Meridian,
and he likes snakes as much as I do. ;o)

[dixiechick2000]

Glad I’m not a rodent! ;o)

When I picked my daughter up at NC State, she said, “I don’t believe I’ve told you about Murray.”

Murray turned out to be a ribbon snake.
I didn’t like that one bit, but he came home to live with us.

My brother-in-law has always had snakes.
His mother quit taking them to school the day the copperhead got out of it’s cage in the car.

He’s almost 50, and his home is a literal zoo...right down to the piranha.