Passengers on a Spirit Airlines flight from Charlotte to New York City were treated to a bit of a surprise. In addition to a load of passengers, a bat also boarded the aircraft. It is unclear exactly how the bat got onboard, but once in flight, the bat made its presence known. Fortunately for passengers, the bat was contained in the restroom for the short hop.

What happened?

All seemed normal on a routine Spirit Airlines flight. About 30 minutes after takeoff, however, it became clear that there was an unexpected passenger onboard. All of a sudden, a bat started to fly around the cabin. In the age of cellular devices and the airplane mode, one passenger was able to shoot a video of the incident. As can be heard in the video, several passengers were shocked by the stowaway. Take a look below:

In a later tweet, the same passenger also explained that someone trapped the bat between a "book and a cup". Then, the bat was subsequently locked in a lavatory. According to a report in TIME, there were no injuries and the bat was removed after arrival in Newark.

How did the bat get onboard?

Aside from emotional support animals, finding stowaway animals are quite rare. Most aircraft that remain in a location for extended periods of time are sealed off from the outside for safety reasons. It is likely that the bat may have entered the aircraft during a period on the ground when there were only a few people on the plane. And, after hiding away for a bit, the bat likely was a bit distraught by the pressurization and strange environment of the aircraft.

An aircraft can be a strange place for a bat. Photo: Spirit Airlines

Bats are known to carry a host of diseases. Some of these can spread to humans who are either bitten or come in contact with droppings. Thankfully Spirit Airlines took the time to disinfect the aircraft after landing.

Overall

Finding an unwanted stowaway on board can be a stressful event for both passengers and crew. The likelihood of such an incident occurring is rare, however, animals do sometimes find their way onboard. Nevertheless, for those passengers, this will be one memorable flight.

Passengers likely won't forget this Spirit Airlines flight. Photo: Spirit Airlines

Were you on board this flight? What was it like? Let us know in the comments!

Simple Flying reached out to Spirit Airlines for comment. However, Spirit Airlines had not responded by the time of publication. This article will be updated once Simple Flying receives a comment.