Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Video: Bat On A Plane Forces Landing
By
John Del Signore
Published Aug 8, 2011
Modified Aug 8, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Aug 8, 2011
Modified Aug 8, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A Delta flight from Madison, WI to Atlanta, Georgia was aborted on Friday after what appears to be a bat started flapping around the cabin, CNN reports. Here's video of the winged stowaway, taken just moments after a pale-skinned passenger wearing a black cape mysteriously disappeared in a puff of smoke:
The passenger who shot the video explains, "I woke up to a small scream and then I saw the bat fly over my head. I grabbed my phone to get some video as my friends would never believe this. It went up and down the aisle about four to five times before being trapped in the back lavatory." The flight returned to Madison, and a Delta spokesperson says, "We were not able to confirm if it was a bird or a bat. Bottom line is the flight did return to Madison so the aircraft could be searched and it was after that search that it was able to return to Atlanta."
The incident calls to mind other classic animal plane stories, such as the man who boarded a Spirit Airlines flight with a monkey under his hat, and (again on Delta) a mice attack. When will the struggling airline industry start running animal-only flights for busy commuter animals? [Via Runnin' Scared]
Tagged
bat
bat on a plane
delta
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
These are the NYC neighborhoods that will get free 2-K next fall
All of Staten Island and the Bronx will be eligible for seats.
By
Karen Yi
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. ET
Modified Oct 19, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET
Early Addition: Get to know Wanda, the donkey in the Met's 'La Bohème'
Because she's 18 years old now, here are your early links: The RHONY castmember mentioned in the Epstein Files, killing rats with carbon monoxide, Selena Gomez says don't vape and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: Get to know Wanda, the donkey in the Met's 'La Bohème'
Because she's 18 years old now, here are your early links: The RHONY castmember mentioned in the Epstein Files, killing rats with carbon monoxide, Selena Gomez says don't vape and more.
By
James Ramsay
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
Need help with mental health or addiction services? NYC has a new tool.
By
Caroline Lewis
NYC sues personal injury law firm accused of bogus trip-and-fall claims
By
Walter Wuthmann
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .