South Africa: Pilot praised for landing safely after crew found snake in plane

A South African pilot was forced to make an emergency landing after a huge and deadly cobra slithered down his side and curled up under his seat. Rudolph Erasmus was flying four passengers in a private plane when he said he felt a “cold sensation” on his hip.

Thinking that his water bottle might have been leaking, Erasmus looked down instead at the sight of a highly venomous snake disappearing underneath his seat. Flying at an altitude of 11,000 feet, the pilot knew that he had to stay calm so as not to cause his four passengers to panic (and even possibly cause the plane to crash).

Rather, he told them to look around if any of them could find the snake, the Cape cobra, one of the deadliest snakes on the African continent. Erasmus who was flying from Cape Town to Nelspruit radioed the aviation services who gave him clearance to land at the nearest airport in the town of Welkom.

He has been commended by the South African Civil Aviation Authority for his “great airmanship indeed, which saved all lives on board”