Kittens in Avionics Room Delay Delhi Flight

On Tuesday morning, the departure of a Royal Jordanian Airline's return flight to Amman was delayed by several hours - thanks to two kittens in the aircraft's avionics bay. The kittens had apparently boarded the flight at Amman, possibly with their mother and were noticed by the pilot during a routine inspection after the plane had docked at the Delhi Airport.

The crew spent several hours searching for the two kittens before getting hold of them around mid day. One of the kittens was handed over to an NGO working with animals while the other managed to slip out of their hands and is now suspected to be in the airport premises. The Airbus 310, flight RJ 191 landed at the Delhi Airport around 6 a.m. The pilot noticed the kittens roaming about the aircraft's avionics bay - the sensitive section with sophisticated machines that helps an aircraft fly and lies diagonally below the cockpit.

A mad search ensued to locate the kittens. A crewmember claimed having noticed a full-grown cat as well, probably the mother. Eventually, the two kittens were got hold of and handed over to the NGO workers. While one escaped, the other will be quarantined for a month. The 'mother' could not be located, and the flight RJ 192 departed at around 12pm with its 35 passengers - who had been put up at a nearby hotel as crew scrambled inside the aircraft to locate the kittens and their mother.

Sources at the airport said that the kittens could have only entered the aircraft in Amman, possibly when it was sitting in the hangar. The avionics bay has only one access point, from the forward cargo container hold. Official said that it is potentially dangerous to have cats or rats inside the avionics bay. For these animals are capable of chewing the wires which could have played havoc with the aircraft's controls. Last heard, the aircraft had landed safely at Amman. Royal Jordanian Airlines was not available for comments.

The Hindustan Times is provided through HT Syndication, New Delhi.

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