Maggots ground plane

A plane was stopped from taking off in the US when maggots began falling from an overhead luggage locker.

Horrified passengers raised the alarm as the maggots began falling on an unsuspecting passenger.

The US Airways flight, bound for Charlotte from Atlanta, was preparing for takeoff at the time.

"It was like out of a creepy movie," passenger Donna Adamo told NewsChannel 36. "It was disturbing."

Another passenger, Desiree Harnell, is demanding a refund from the airline after the incident.

"There's tonnes of them, and they never stop growing and rolling around. I just couldn't wait to get off the flight," she said.

A US Airways spokesperson said the problem was traced to spoiled meat in a carry-on bag.

The plane returned to the gate and a cleaning crew was brought in while passengers waited in the terminal for more than an hour.

An airline spokesperson said the man who packed the meat in his bag was placed on another flight.

The plane was taken out of service after arriving in Charlotte and was fumigated as a precaution.