Pilot with severe spider allergy bitten by a tarantula mid-flight, likely carried from Morocco

A pilot with a severe spider allergy was bitten by a tarantula mid-flight on Friday, forcing him to receive emergency treatment and delaying the plane’s next departure.

The Iberia Airbus A320, flying from Düsseldorf to Madrid, landed safely despite the pilot’s condition. He was treated with medication from the plane’s first-aid kit and is now stable.

The spider, possibly a tarantula, is believed to have entered the plane via luggage on a previous flight from Morocco.

While passengers disembarked safely, the flight from Madrid to Vigo was delayed by three hours.

Technicians fumigated the plane to find and eliminate the spider.