A routine flight turned into a heart-racing moment for a South African pilot when he discovered a highly venomous cobra hiding under his seat. With four passengers onboard, Rudolf Erasmus felt something cold slide across his lower back. To his horror, he spotted the head of a Cape Cobra slithering back under his seat.
Despite the danger, Erasmus kept his cool and informed his passengers of the unwelcome guest. He quickly contacted air traffic control to request an emergency landing in the central South African town of Welkom. But he still had to fly for another 10-15 minutes with the snake curled up by his feet.
Erasmus remained focused and safely landed the plane with the slippery stowaway. “I kept looking down to see where it was. It was happy under the seat,” he said. “I don’t have a big fear of snakes, but I normally don’t go near them.”
Brian Emmenis, an aviation expert who works at Welkom radio station Gold FM, received a plea for help and alerted the fire and rescue department. Emergency responders and a snake handler raced to the airport to meet the plane. Emmenis was the first on the scene and witnessed everyone disembarking, visibly shaken but unharmed, thanks to Erasmus’s quick thinking.
The incident left the passengers and the pilot rattled, but they were grateful to have landed safely. “There was a moment of stunned silence,” Erasmus said. “But we were all relieved when it was over.”
Erasmus’s bravery and decisive actions helped avert a potentially deadly situation. The passengers will forever be thankful for his heroic actions, which serve as a reminder that even the most mundane situations can turn dangerous in the blink of an eye.
