South African pilot Rudolf Erasmus has been appreciated for safely landing a flight after a venomous cobra slid under his seat.
Flying a small aircraft with only four passengers might seem relatively easy compared to a full-fletched flight. However, this particular flight was not at all easy for pilot Erasmus.
It was just another day at the office for Erasmus, who was flying a small aircraft from Worcester to Nelspruit on April 3. However, things quickly escalated after an unwelcome passenger showed up.
It all started a day before when the people at Worcester Airfield saw a Cape cobra lying underneath the wing during the preflight procedure. They tried to catch it, but the cobra went inside the engine cowlings. The staff opened the cowlings but found nothing. They assume the cobra slithered away.
Erasmus has this habit of keeping a water bottle between his leg and hip towards the side of the aircraft. He suddenly felt a cold sensation on his sides. Erasmus thought his water bottle was leaking. However, when he turned to his left and looked down, he saw the cobra putting its head back under the seat.
Erasmus was stunned and silent. However, he maintained composure and calmly revealed the passengers about the scenario. He also said that an emergency landing would be the plan ahead. The flight was close to the Welkom airport, and Erasmus declared an emergency with the control tower in Johannesburg.
He calmly landed the plane, and the four passengers were safely removed from the flight. Erasmus got out last and saw the snake curl underneath his seat. He called for some snake handlers and engineers. Engineers opened the plane parts but were unsuccessful in locating the cobra. The cobra was not seen till the next day. It is assumed that it slithered away while they were waiting for the engineers.
However, Erasmus has been lauded for his effort. The bad weather added another difficulty in a safe emergency landing. Erasmus used every ounce of his five-year experience to land the flight. Aviation expert Brian Emmenis who has 38 years of experience in aviation, said that Erasmus has displayed the "greatest skill in aviation."
(Input from various media sources)