Snake in flight grounds plane

Sydney, April 5 (IANS) A pilot in Australia was forced to turn his plane around after noticing a snake slithering across the control panel.

Pilot Braden Blennerhassett, with Air Frontier airline, was flying freight to the remote town of Peppimenarti in Australia's Northern Territory Tuesday when the snake emerged from his control panel, the Australian reported.

Air Frontier director Geoffrey Hunt said the pilot called air traffic controllers to alert them about his problem saying 'we've got a snake on board'.

The pilot had trouble communicating with the control tower.

"The snake popped its head out near the transmit button that he needed to press to talk to the tower," Hunt said.

The pilot was told to return and a snake handler was organised to meet him. But the reptile was never found.

The aircraft, meanwhile, has been grounded until the snake is found.