Rudolf Erasmus, a pilot of a light aircraft in South Africa had a terrible encounter earlier this week during a flight with four passengers on board: he detected a highly venomous snake, a deadly Cape Cobra, hiding under his seat at 11,000ft in the air, after he felt “something cold” slide across his lower back. At that time anything was possible to happen but people remained calm.. To escape from the situation Erasmus called air traffic control for permission to make an emergency landing in the town of Welkom in central South Africa and it made it. Emergency responders and a snake handler to meet the plane at the airport. The passengers left the plane without incident.The plane was searched but the snake was not found.
Even in such conditions, the pilot was forced to flight the plane back to its owners, a 90-minute voyage, in the city of Mbombela. He wore a thick winter jacket, wrapped a blanket round his seat, and had a fire extinguisher, a can of insect repellent and a golf club cross to be prepared. No trace of the snake, again. Erasmus was a lucky man. Probably the reptile found a way to go . Cape Cobras are usually found in South Africa. Their bite is lethal and can lead to the victim’s death in 30 minutes. South African civil aviation commissioner Poppy Khosa hailed Erasmus as a hero.
