Did you know that among the bizarre incidents recorded in the aviation sector is that of a lone pilot who fell asleep for five hours while on flight, and another involving an airport security officer who stole a passenger's wallet and then proceeded to swallow the cash?

Flying is a luxurious travel experience but what if passengers, flights attendants and pilots encounter unusual situations. Truly, some truly bizarre incidents have occurred onboard commercial flights and at airports throughout the world. Some of these outrageous events could have posed legitimate security or health or safety hazards, while others simply just qualify as strange to imagine. Here are a few of such bizarre incidents worth knowing of.

1️⃣ Forgotten passport
On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, passengers headed to China aboard a recent United Airlines Flight UA198 from Los Angeles in the United States to Shanghai faced an unexpected travel headache after a pilot forgot his passport. The incident prompted the pilot to return to the United States. At the time, Flight UA198 was out over the Pacific Ocean on Saturday afternoon when it made a u-turn and headed to San Francisco, as shown by tracking data.

2️⃣ Backseat biohazard
On September 7, 2023, a Delta Air Lines flight was forced to turn around due to a bizarre "biohazard" incident that occurred during the early stages of a transatlantic crossing from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) and Barcelona's El Prat Airport (BCN). During this flight, a passenger experienced an episode of diarrhea so severe that it created a hazard to those onboard. The flight attendants frantically attempted to contain the mess, but the hazard grew far quicker than it could be contained, and the scent of vanilla-flavored disinfectant only seemed to make the situation worse. Faced with few suitable options for the lengthy transatlantic flight, the captain requested permission to return to Atlanta. After an intense cleaning procedure, the flight eventually made its way across the Atlantic.

3️⃣ One way to hide the money
Another equally bizarre situation arose at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) on September 21, 2023. This extremely strange incident involved an airport security officer, who had been recorded on camera stealing $300 from a passenger's wallet and then proceeding to swallow the cash. Airport officials indicated that the individual who committed the crime would receive the maximum penalty for her actions.

4️⃣ "Barbarians" on flight
On December 30, 2021, a Sunwing Airlines flight from Montreal to Cancun was chartered to carry a group of influencers and reality television stars. The passengers faced controversy over breaching aviation and health regulations. Passengers smoked electronic cigarettes, consumed alcohol, and took off their masks on the flight. The situation became so unruly that flight attendants had to hide from passengers. The behavior was denounced by the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, who called the passengers "barbarians". The flight is being investigated by Transport Canada. Passengers who were on the flight would be denied boarding by Air Transat, Air Canada and Sunwing Airlines.

5️⃣ Lone pilot asleep on flight
On February 17, 1994, the lone pilot of a Piper PA-34 fell asleep while enroute from Springfield, Kentucky to Crossville, Tennessee. When he awoke 5 hours later over the Gulf of Mexico. He was 210 miles south of Panama City, Florida and had only 20 minutes of fuel remaining. He declared mayday and was assisted by Coast Guard and Air Force aircraft. They directed him to the nearest airport, St. Petersburg. While enroute to the airport the engines quit due to fuel exhaustion and the aircraft was ditched 70 miles west of St. Petersburg. The pilot was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter.

6️⃣ Snake onboard
On May 20, 1991, near Rock Hill, South Carolina, a pilot in a Hughes HU-269 helicopter was flying an aerial observation flight. He turned on the cockpit heat. A copperhead snake emerged from the vent near his feet. As the pilot maneuvered towards a landing area, the snake appeared poised to strike. The pilot tried to step on the snake with his foot and subsequently lost control of the helicopter. The helicopter hit some trees and was destroyed, and the pilot was seriously injured. The snake was not found after the accident.

SOURCES: Weather Graphics | Simple Flying | Wikipedia

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