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100asa21din/Getty Images/iStockphoto A crocodile like this might have brought down a flight in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to testimony in a U.K. inquest. A plane crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo that left 18 people dead may have been caused by a crocodile.
The animal is thought to have climbed out of a hold midflight and spooked the crew and passengers.
They all panicked and ran towards the cockpit, and the forward shift in weight may have caused the plane to plummet to the ground, according to testimony during an inquest, reported the Times UK.
Only one person survived the crash —as did the crocodile, though it was killed with machetes by rescuers sifting through the plane's wreckage.
The co-pilot, Chris Wilson, was British. Authorities holding an inquest in the U.K. on Friday heard that the crocodile might have been the reason for the crash.
Ralf Manteufel/Wikimedia Commons Passengers and crew may have all ran to the front of a plane like this one, causing it to crash, after they became frightened by a crocodile on board. The reptile, which measured up to three feet in length, was brought on board in a sports bag so that it could be sold.
Chris Wilson's father, Rob, said there was a video of the crocodile being taken onto the plane.
"They think it may have frightened the cabin crew member and she ran forward, with the other passengers following. The weight shift caused by the panic may have affected the plane causing it to nose dive or stall," a U.K. coroner said.
Other considered causes for the crash included engine failure and a fuel shortage.
