The snake in the luggage compartment. Photo tuoitre.vn

Last week, a flight from HCM City to Hà Nội had to be cancelled after a snake was discovered on board.

According to a passenger, when the flight was about to take off, a snake slithered out of a luggage compartment.

With Samuel L Jackson nowhere in sight, panic ensued.

The captain stopped the flight immediately to return the passengers to the departure lounge to wait for a snakeless plane.

Explaining the incident, a Civil Aviation Administration of Việt Nam representative said the snake was a pet and not poisonous one.

The 20cm-long snake was carried by a male passenger in his hand luggage.

The aviation regulator and the airline was asked to check its security luggage screening process.

With the snake having been stowed in hand luggage, how did it slip through the security screening scanner unnoticed?

Perhaps security staff were busy watching 2006 horror film Snakes on a Plane. — VNS