Jonathan Mendelsohn
Rudolf Erasmus, who is a pilot in South Africa, had to make an emergency landing on a recent flight after he had a frightening encounter with an unlikely passenger. Erasmus found himself face-to-face with a highly venomous Cape Cobra after he had already taken off. Cape Cobras are considered one of the deadliest snakes in South Africa.
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Erasmus said he felt “something cold” slither across his back during his flight this past Monday. When he turned around, the pilot spotted the snake “receding back under the seat.”
Pilot’s Frightening Experience with Large Snake
Erasmus spoke to The Associated Press about the ordeal, saying, “It was as if my brain didn’t know what was going on.” There were only four passengers on the flight, who all managed to stay calm while Erasmus called air traffic control, asking for permission to make an emergency landing. The plane took 10 to 15 minutes to land while the snake was still on board. Erasmus added, “I kept looking down to see where it was. It was happy under the seat. I don’t have a big fear of snakes but I normally don’t go near them.”
While the four passengers got to their destinations a different way, Erasmus was forced to embark on another 90-minute flight in the same plane because his company wanted the plane back in Mbombela, South Africa. There was an extensive search of the plane for any sign of the snake, but there was none. It was assumed that the snake slithered out of the plane after it landed, but its location remains unknown. Erasmus noted that the flight to Mbombela was nerve-wracking, saying, “I would say I was on high alert.”
It is assumed that the cobra found its way inside the aircraft when it was getting ready for take-off in the town of Worcester, where Cape Cobras reside. Erasmus made it to Mbombela without spotting the snake again, but it is not clear if the snake truly left the aircraft or if it’s still hiding on board somewhere.
