A South African pilot had a potentially deadly encounter during a flight on Monday 3rd April 2023 when a 5ft Cape cobra slithered into the cockpit and disappeared under his seat.
Rudolf Erasmus was flying four passengers from Cape Town to Nelspruit in South Africa in a private plane at 11,000ft when he felt a “cold sensation” on his hip.
Initially assuming his water bottle had leaked, he was horrified to discover a highly venomous snake disappearing beneath him.
Initially assuming his water bottle had leaked, he was horrified to discover a highly venomous snake disappearing beneath him.
The Cape cobra is classified as highly venomous and considered one of Africa’s most dangerous cobras. A bite from this species can be lethal, which made Erasmus’s situation particularly alarming.
Despite the danger, Erasmus managed to stay calm and alert his passengers to the situation. “I told them: ‘Listen, the snake in underneath my seat. It is inside the cockpit, so we are going to have to execute a landing as fast as possible,” he told the local news outlet Lowvelder.
Erasmus was forced to make an emergency landing in Welkom, a city in the Free State province of South Africa, after radioing for help. Thanks to his quick thinking and the cooperation of his passengers, the plane landed safely and the snake was removed from the cockpit.
