By Dean Austen
The stowaway rat that popped up on the lap of a business-class passenger during an Air New Zealand flight has been found dead in the plane's cockpit.
Engineers found the rat last night after a three-hour search. The aircraft had been fumigated by quarantine officials on Tuesday.
The rodent, believed
to be an escaped pet, had evaded capture after first being spotted on the Boeing en route from Los Angeles to Auckland via Tahiti.
Air New Zealand spokesman Cameron Hill said the rat, which had started to "pong a little bit," was found in the cockpit area, but well away from anything that would have affected flight control.
During the search, airport tracker dogs normally used to detect the illegal importation of meat products were brought in.
Mr Hill said the rat had been incinerated and the aircraft had resumed its scheduled service.
