A real life nightmare unfolded Wednesday night in Baltimore when a baboon tarantula crawled free of its carrier container while onboard an Atlanta-bound Delta flight, forcing the plane to be grounded overnight.

The Baltimore Sun reports that Delta baggage handlers were just doing their jobs before the flight when one noticed the fury critter walking outside of its container. Very calmly, I’m sure, the handler contacted the flight’s captain, who announced the problem to passengers and then ordered the flight grounded overnight so the plane could be searched for other spiders.

Delta spokesman Brian Kruse told the Sun that baggage handlers were able to capture the arachnid and eventually speak to its owner, who confirmed that no other spiders were on board. From the Sun:

Kruse noted that the spider was confined to the cargo hold and never entered the cabin. Nevertheless, the plane stayed at BWI, where it was searched and determined to be all-clear.

“Safety and security are our top priority,” he said.

After a three-hour delay, the cursed flight’s passengers were able to board another flight to Atlanta. No word on what happened to the tarantula or why it was on the plane in the first place.

Image via Shutterstock. h/t New York Post. Contact the author at taylor@gawker.com.