Pilot Makes Emergency Landing with Snake Under Seat

A pilot in South Africa had to make an emergency landing when he discovered a venomous Cape cobra snake under his seat during a flight. The pilot, Rudolf Erasmus, was flying a small aircraft with four passengers from Bloemfontein to Pretoria when he felt something cold on his back. Upon inspection, he found the head of the Cape cobra. The Cape cobra is a dangerous snake, and its venom can cause death in as little as 30 minutes.

Erasmus informed his passengers that they needed to make an emergency landing at a nearby airport. He still had to fly for another 10 to 15 minutes with the snake under his seat before safely landing at Welkom airport. Despite efforts to locate the snake by a team of aircraft engineers and a snake expert, they were unable to find it even after two days of searching.

Erasmus was asked to fly the plane again after two days, but he took precautions, wearing a thick winter coat and putting a blanket around his seat. He also carried a golf club, just in case. The company that owns the plane wanted it back, and he successfully flew for another 90 minutes.