Scottish Flight Grounded After Passenger Spies Tarantula Onboard

October 22, 2009 10:42 a.m. EST

Edinburgh, Scotland (AHN) - There weren't snakes on the plane, but a creepy-crawly-spider spotting did ground a British Airways flight in Scotland.

A passenger reported seeing the poisonous spider crawling between his legs during flight from London to Edinburgh, Scotland, England's The Daily Telegraph reported.

British Airways flew in a specialist to fumigate the cabin of the Airbus A319, while engineers examined other parts of the aircraft. No one else spotted the spiders during the search, which caused the cancellation of at least one flight.

None of the other passengers on the plane spotted the elusive tarantula.

A spokesperson for the airline said that it was unusual a spider should make its way onto a UK flight, as they're mostly found in cargo such as fruit, Scotland's Daily Record reported.

Most tarantulas are harmless to humans, with some species of the large spider even kept as exotic pets.