Bee delays Indonesian flight for four hours

A bee hiding in a pitot tube has caused an Indonesia flight from Sumatra to Jakarta to be delayed for 4 hours

Jakarta: A bee delayed an Indonesian passenger plane for four hours after getting stuck in vital equipment and causing a problem with the aircraft’s controls.

Illustration/Thinkstock

The flight, operated by Indonesian flag carrier Garuda, was scheduled to take off on Tuesday morning from Sumatra and head for Jakarta. But, the pilot of the Boeing 737, which was carrying 156 passengers, decided not to take off.

“An investigation found that the plane’s electronic engine control suffered a technical issue after an insect got into a pitot tube, which is used to measure airspeed. Due to safety concerns, Garuda Indonesia decided to delay the flight,” airline spokesman said.

The airline did not say whether the bee survived the ordeal. After being repaired, the plane took off and landed in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The airlines said that the incident was beyond the airline’s control, but the passengers had been given compensation.

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