Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

They Actually Found a Snake On a Plane — in New Jersey The 2006 thriller "Snakes on a Plane" came to life when police had to be called to a gate at the Newark Airport to remove an unexpected passenger.

By Gabrielle Bienasz

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Kevin Winter I Getty Images
Samuel L. Jackson and snake at the premiere of the 2006 movie

As if people who are afraid of flying need something else to be worried about: There was, in fact, a snake on a plane.

On Monday, a passenger found a snake under their seat after a plane landed at Newark Airport in New Jersey, according to CNN.

"Passengers in business class started shrieking and pulling their feet up" someone who was on the plane told CNN affiliate News 12 The Bronx.

The plane was traveling from Tampa to Newark on United. Staff on the plane were "alerted by passengers," and then asked for assistance with the issue, the airline told CNN.

Police arrived at the gate to remove the snake which the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told the outlet was of the garden variety — fitting that it was found in the Garden State.

In 2006, Samuel L. Jackson starred in the action thriller "Snakes on a Plane," where passengers on an airplane were contending with vicious, violent snakes at the behest of a crime leader who did not want a witness onboard to testify about his crimes. Scores of people die in the cult classic.

It has a 69% Rotten Tomatoes score and received a positive review in the New York Times the year it was released.

"All anyone really needs to know about this amusingly crude, honestly satisfying artifact is snakes + plane + Samuel L. Jackson," the outlet wrote.

Shockingly, this has actually happened before. In February, passengers on a flight from Malaysia faced a snake of uncertain provenance that somehow managed to get behind the overhead lights and went viral on TikTok, per USA Today.

Venomous snakes are not allowed on planes, but you can sometimes travel with non-poisonous ones as pets.

Gabrielle Bienasz is a staff writer at Entrepreneur. She previously worked at Insider and Inc. Magazine. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Data & Recovery

Train Your Company to Avoid Costly Data Breaches With This $30 Bundle

Train in the eight domains of CISSP and protect your business from growing cyber threats.

Business News

These 3 Side Hustles Make the Most Money While Working Fewer Hours, According to a New Survey

The survey also found that having a side hustle doubled as a path to becoming more employable.

Thought Leaders

These 3 Trends Will Change What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur in 2025

Here are three entrepreneurship trends from the new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report that are changing the landscape for the future.

Side Hustle

I Made $14,000 in 1 Week With a Spontaneous Halloween Costume Side Hustle — Here's How

Sabba Keynejad was in art school when he started to refine his entrepreneurial skills.

Franchise

The McRib Is Back, But Only at Select McDonald's — Here's Where to Find It

This scarcity is nothing new. In 2022, McDonald's announced a "Farewell Tour" for the McRib, suggesting that it might be the last time customers could get their hands on it.