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Massive huntsman drops onto pilot during plane landing

A Northern Territory pilot has found a stowaway on landing his plane after a huntsman spider dropped down from the cockpit’s ceiling.

Footage obtained by 9News.com.au shows the cheeky spider crawling along inside the plane as it landed in Kakadu National Park on Tuesday.

Passenger Sean Hancock estimated it was about 15cm wide and described the cheeky spider as a “big boy”.

A huntsman spider seen in the cockpit of a passenger plane.
Spare a thought for people scared of spiders and of flying. Source: 9News.com.au

Mr Hancock added the pilot “wasn’t a fan at all” and tried to brush it off.

The pilot isn’t alone either. On Facebook, a viewer referred to the spider's antics as "the stuff of nightmares".

“I don’t think I want to go to Kakadu anymore,” another person said.

One man jokingly suggested a new movie idea: “Spiders on a Plane”.

“I would have a heart attack,” another woman wrote.

A huge huntsman crawls along the window of a plane landing in the northern territory.
The plane was landing in the Northern Territory when the stowaway made an appearance. Source: 9News.com.au

Others added if they were in the pilot’s shoes they probably would have panicked and crashed the aircraft.

While big and scary looking to some people, huntsman spiders are relatively harmless.

Some of these readers might want to avoid flood-affected parts of Victoria for the time being after fields were pictured covered in spider webs following heavy rainfall.

Wellington Shire councillor Carolyn Crossley shared a stunning video to Facebook of fine spiderwebs "billowing in the breeze", saying she "couldn't resist" doing so.

One person remarked the footage was "amazing and unreal".

"Absolutely remarkable. Thank you for sharing," another person said.

"How wondrous it is that these tiny creatures get the message they need to escape the danger."

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