A South African pilot in his wildest dreams did not expect to find under his seat on the plane, while it was above the clouds, one of the most dangerous snakes on earth: the cobra.
In the details published by the British newspaper, The Guardian, a pilot in South Africa was forced to make an emergency landing after discovering a 1.5-meter-long cobra snake on board his plane.
The snake was not trapped in the baggage compartment of the plane, as it was crawling next to the pilot before curling up under his seat.
Rudolf Erasmus was flying a private plane with 4 passengers on board, at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters when he felt something cold on his hip.
At first he thought it was because his water bottle had leaked, and when he glanced under he was stunned by the sight: a very venomous snake had moved to lodge itself under his seat.
It took the pilot a moment to compose himself, and he told his passengers, "Listen, there's a snake under my seat. It's in the cockpit, so we're going to make an (emergency) landing as quickly as possible."
Although this type of cobra is relatively calm, it is considered the most dangerous in the African continent.
The pilot informed the relevant authorities of the emergency he was facing and was allowed to land at the nearest airport.
After landing and ensuring the safety of the passengers, the pilot stood on the wing of the plane and moved his seat forward, to find the snake still lying in its place, and he said about it: “It was a great companion (on the flight).”
South Africa's Civil Aviation Commissioner, Bobby Khoza, praised the pilot's performance in the difficult situation. He said that he is a great pilot who managed to save all the lives of the passengers on the plane.
Okaz (Cape Town)