Bee Stuck in an Airspeed Measurement Device Delays Indonesian Flight

Jakarta, Jan 6 (IANS) A bee delayed an Indonesian flight operated by Garuda Indonesia for several hours after getting stuck in an airspeed measurement device, the media reported on Wednesday.

Benny Butarbutar, the flag carrier's vice president of corporate communications, said that the pilot of Flight GA197 decided to delay the flight on Tuesday for four hours after finding problems in one of the aircraft's engines, EFE news reported.

The plane was scheduled to take off at 3.10 p.m. from Kualanamu airport in North Sumatra's provincial capital of Medan for Jakarta.

"Based on a thorough investigation, the problem in the aircraft's electronic engine control was caused by a bee entering the aircraft's pitot tube located on the outer part of the cockpit, delaying the departure," Butarbutar said.

The pitot tube measures airspeed.

Butarbutar added that the incident was the first of its kind for Garuda.