# Scorpions On A Plane **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 1, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459 "2011-07-01T02:00:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/1 "2011-07-01T02:00:52Z")
[Here](http://news.yahoo.com/us-man-stung-scorpion-commercial-flight-180744819.html). OK, only one scorpion. And its sting wasn’t fatal. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/2 "2011-07-01T04:05:07Z")
The lethality of scorpions is somewhat overrated. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2011, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/3 "2011-07-01T07:39:43Z")
Depends on what kind of scorpion, but yeah most of them aren’t deadly. As a kid growing up in Austin (where they say in the story this scorpion likely boarded the plane), I got stung by scorpions on a few different occasions. It hurt like hell, but other than that I was fine. The scariest thing was once when I went to put on my underwear after a bath. I shook them out to open them up so I could step into them, and a scorpion fell out. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/4 "2011-07-01T13:28:10Z")
30,000 feet in the air over Alaska is a pretty strange place to find a scorpion. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/5 "2011-07-01T13:56:09Z")
[Story here](http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/07/01/137548317/scorpion-on-a-plane-oh-my-god-said-man-who-was-stung) Yeah, I guess you know the punchline. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/6 "2011-07-01T13:58:27Z")
You’re a little [late](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=614597) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/7 "2011-07-01T13:59:53Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > You’re a little [late](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=614597) Threads merged. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/8 "2011-07-01T14:28:12Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > 30,000 feet in the air over Alaska is a pretty strange place to find a scorpion. 🙂 Looks like it boarded at the Austin stopover - which TSA agent let an armed and body-armored passenger get on that flight?! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/9 "2011-07-01T14:33:02Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > …scorpion… Band name. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/10 "2011-07-01T14:54:09Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Band name. Reporters contacted Klaus Meine and asked how such a thing could happen. [His reply](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1vjMpTEecQ) ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/11 "2011-07-01T20:37:02Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > As a kid growing up in Austin (where they say in the story this scorpion likely boarded the plane), I got stung by scorpions on a few different occasions. It hurt like hell, but other than that I was fine. As a kid growing up in Austin, I got stung by scorpions on a few different occasions. Yeah, it hurt, but not that bad. It left a mark that looked like a mosquito bite, but hurt a lot more getting there. Really, unless the guy had a history of bug allergies it wasn’t going to be a big deal. Now, if a grizzly bear sneaks onto the plane departing Alaska, that will be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![wei\_ji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wei\_ji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wei_ji)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/12 "2011-07-02T01:39:24Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > As a kid growing up in Austin, I got stung by scorpions on a few different occasions. Yeah, it hurt, but not that bad. It left a mark that looked like a mosquito bite, but hurt a lot more getting there. Really, unless the guy had a history of bug allergies it wasn’t going to be a big deal. > > Now, if a grizzly bear sneaks onto the plane departing Alaska, that will be a problem. Or, more plausibly, perhaps, a mink or other weasel type popped out of some hiding place in the cabin and wanted out badly at 30,000 feet. That’s an emergency landing. A brawny young commercial fisherman and lifelong Alaskan told me as we moved slowly in a skiff close to shore, towing one end of a net, that if the Mink we saw running around on the rocks just above us leapt or fell into the boat and became aggressive, he, the fisherman, was going overboard. No, he wasn’t kidding. If a Wolverine got into the baggage compartment on an Alaska Airlines jet (early morning takeoff from some smaller field; fish or game meat taken on as baggage earlier–could happen) and decided to chew and claw its way into a better location it might be a toss-up whether he would succeed before overcome by lack of oxygen or cold. Both of these scenarios are pretty unlikely but not unthinkable. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/13 "2011-07-02T19:35:47Z")
The cargo hold / baggage compartments on jets are pressurized & reasonably warm. Certainly warm enough that Alaskan wildlife wouldn’t be bothered. Critters getting loose and trying to claw / chew their way out are not unheard of. Back in about 1960 my Dad used a fire axe to kill a thoroughbred race horse that had gotten loose in the main cabin area of a cargo-only plane. The horse was gonna tear the airplane apart if he wasn’t stopped. He’d already done a bunch of dangerous damage before the situation got really insane. It was one hell of a mess. ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/14 "2011-07-03T06:03:36Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The cargo hold / baggage compartments on jets are pressurized & reasonably warm. Certainly warm enough that Alaskan wildlife wouldn’t be bothered. > > Critters getting loose and trying to claw / chew their way out are not unheard of. > > Back in about 1960 my Dad used a fire axe to kill a thoroughbred race horse that had gotten loose in the main cabin area of a cargo-only plane. The horse was gonna tear the airplane apart if he wasn’t stopped. He’d already done a bunch of dangerous damage before the situation got really insane. It was one hell of a mess. WTF?! Really? On an airplane, with a fucking AXE? Dude, this story you must share. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/15 "2011-07-03T13:21:18Z")
I actually don’t know too much more. This happened when I was a toddler, and Dad’s long since died. He was a flight engineer working on Lockheed Constellations for a major airline. In those days the majors all had cargo divisions which hauled bulk freight in boxes & crates. They often transported exotic time sensitive cargo. Anyhow, the horse was in a crate and supposedly partly sedated. Conscious, but lackadaisical. The regulations prohibited carrying animal handlers on the same airplane since it didn’t have full passenger accomodations. There wasn’t much other cargo on board, and a large open space was left around the horse’s crate for airflow. Anyhow, they had a bunch of delays getting off the ground and a couple hours later enroute the tranks wore off. The horse went fucking nuts, to use a technical animal husbandry term. It busted out of the crate and was trying to bust outta the airplane, or at least tear out the floor & ceiling. You know, where all the electrical wiring and flight control cables run. As the damage accumulated the situation got desperate. The pilots were hurrying towards an airport but back then they were fewer & farther between. Especially over southern Colorado / northern New Mexico. And Connies are a lot slower than jets. Dad was low man (read as “most expendable”) on the 3-man crew, and by formal job description the flight engineer was also the cargomaster. Airplanes carry a small hand axe, more of an overgrown hatchet. After a couple whacks with a busted 2x4 from the crate didn’t do much to slow down the horse, Dad got in a few good chops with the axe on various spots on the horse. He also got kicked a couple times, but got lucky and just got grazed. Hurt but not incapacitated. The close quarters helped; the horse didn’t really have fighting room. About 5 minutes later the horse ran out of blood and died. Having spread same all over the aircraft interior. And Dad. Plus the minor bleeding he was doing on his own. He said the pilots heard the commotion die down and then he came back to the cockpit looking like a scene from a horror movie. The other pilots were suitably impressed / alarmed. They actually hadn’t expected him to return. Mom never did get that particular white uniform shirt clean. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/16 "2011-07-04T07:42:30Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I actually don’t know too much more. This happened when I was a toddler, and Dad’s long since died. > > He was a flight engineer working on Lockheed Constellations for a major airline. In those days the majors all had cargo divisions which hauled bulk freight in boxes & crates. They often transported exotic time sensitive cargo. Anyhow, the horse was in a crate and supposedly partly sedated. Conscious, but lackadaisical. The regulations prohibited carrying animal handlers on the same airplane since it didn’t have full passenger accomodations. There wasn’t much other cargo on board, and a large open space was left around the horse’s crate for airflow. > > Anyhow, they had a bunch of delays getting off the ground and a couple hours later enroute the tranks wore off. The horse went fucking nuts, to use a technical animal husbandry term. > > It busted out of the crate and was trying to bust outta the airplane, or at least tear out the floor & ceiling. You know, where all the electrical wiring and flight control cables run. As the damage accumulated the situation got desperate. The pilots were hurrying towards an airport but back then they were fewer & farther between. Especially over southern Colorado / northern New Mexico. And Connies are a lot slower than jets. > > Dad was low man (read as “most expendable”) on the 3-man crew, and by formal job description the flight engineer was also the cargomaster. > > Airplanes carry a small hand axe, more of an overgrown hatchet. After a couple whacks with a busted 2x4 from the crate didn’t do much to slow down the horse, Dad got in a few good chops with the axe on various spots on the horse. He also got kicked a couple times, but got lucky and just got grazed. Hurt but not incapacitated. The close quarters helped; the horse didn’t really have fighting room. > > About 5 minutes later the horse ran out of blood and died. Having spread same all over the aircraft interior. And Dad. Plus the minor bleeding he was doing on his own. > > He said the pilots heard the commotion die down and then he came back to the cockpit looking like a scene from a horror movie. The other pilots were suitably impressed / alarmed. They actually hadn’t expected him to return. > > Mom never did get that particular white uniform shirt clean. It doesn’t surprise me at all. I worked as an aircraft fueler in the 80s. Flying Tigers was a freight company which also transported a lot of exotic animals. I’ve seen everything from tigers (hee…but oh my GOODNESS they smell dreadful) to a whole cargohold filled with cattle, pallets of soon-to-be-pet monkeys, a zebra once, pallets upon pallets full of chicks (the little yellow kind :D), and lots of race horses. All of the more exotic animals had vets traveling with them, with all sorts of tranquilizer equipment. The zebra was in a large enclosed traveling “stall” with only tiny slats in the sides, even sedated and with almost no view of the outside world he was going nuts, kicking the sides, snorting, and generally kicking up a fuss. The horses, even when sedated were usually nervous too, I can well imagine one going bonkers. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/17 "2011-07-05T20:56:46Z")
IIRC the movie International Velvet uses this as a sub-plot. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/18 "2011-07-05T21:31:07Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > IIRC the movie International Velvet uses this as a sub-plot. I remember the scene where Elizabeth Taylor says, “I am tired of these motherfucking horses on this motherfucking plane!” Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/19 "2011-07-06T21:51:57Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I remember the scene where Elizabeth Taylor says, “I am tired of these motherfucking horses on this motherfucking plane!” > > Regards, > Shodan I’d call you a liar, but in this forum I have to stick with delusional. 😃 Liz wasn’t even in that movie. (international that is) ---
**Author:** ![wei\_ji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wei\_ji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wei_ji)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scorpions-on-a-plane/587459/20 "2011-07-16T00:35:15Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The cargo hold / baggage compartments on jets are pressurized & reasonably warm. Certainly warm enough that Alaskan wildlife wouldn’t be bothered. > > Critters getting loose and trying to claw / chew their way out are not unheard of. > > Back in about 1960 my Dad used a fire axe to kill a thoroughbred race horse that had gotten loose in the main cabin area of a cargo-only plane. The horse was gonna tear the airplane apart if he wasn’t stopped. He’d already done a bunch of dangerous damage before the situation got really insane. It was one hell of a mess. LSL GUY: A timely story from Drudge today. Check it out: > **[FOX 5 New York | Local News, Weather, and Live Streams | WNYW](https://www.fox5ny.com/)** > > New York news, weather, traffic and sports from FOX 5 NY serving New York City, Long Island, New York, New Jersey and Westchester County. Watch breaking news live and Good Day New York. It’s astonishing how often life produces a coincidence like this: “Why, we were just talking about that!” Maybe we should start a thread on psychologist Carl Jung’s theory of Syncronicity (the strangely connected coincidence of events).