Cobra appears inside cockpit, here is what happened to the plane
First Published: 6th April, 2023 13:02 IST
The flight was close to the airport at Welkom, so the pilot declared an emergency with the control tower in Johannesburg
South African pilot Rudolf Erasmus has been lauded by flight experts for a safe emergency landing after a highly venomous Cape cobra reared its head in the cockpit mid-flight.
Erasmus, who has been flying for the past five years, maintained his nerve as the cobra slid back under his seat as soon as he saw it, reported NDTV.
He was flying a small aircraft with four passengers on Monday morning, from Worcester to Nelspruit.
Erasmus explained his dilemma to the website TimeLive.
“When we did the preflight [procedure] on Monday morning, the people at Worcester airfield told us they had seen a Cape cobra lying underneath the wing on Sunday afternoon. They tried to catch it themselves but unfortunately it sought refuge inside the engine cowlings. The group opened the cowlings but the snake was not there so they assumed it had slithered away,” he said.
“I usually travel with a water bottle that I lodge between my leg and my hip towards the side wall of the aircraft. When I felt this cold sensation where my love handles are, I thought my bottle was dripping. As I turned to my left and looked down, I saw the cobra putting its head back underneath my seat,” ,” Erasmus said.
He said that for a moment he was stunned silent.
“I had a moment of stunned silence, not sure if I should tell the passengers because I didn’t want to cause a panic. But obviously they needed to know at some point what was going on,” he said.
“I just said, ‘listen, there’s a problem. The snake is inside the aircraft. I’ve got a feeling it’s under my seat so we are going to have to get the plane on the ground as soon as possible,” he said.
The flight was close to the airport at Welkom, so Erasmus declared an emergency with the control tower in Johannesburg, said NDTV reports.
“I told them I had an unwelcomed passenger. As soon as the aircraft came to a stop, we started getting out. The three passengers in the back came out first and then the one sitting in front with me,” Erasmus said.
Also Read : Karnataka Man Kills 32-Year-Old Son In Fight Over Chicken Curry
COMMENTS
TOPMOST STORY NOW
Live Shillong Medical College to be operational by 2025, Tura medical college by 2026-27: Ampareen Lyndoh
18th May 2024Live Amul celebrates Cannes premiere of Smita Patil’s ‘Manthan’ in signature style
18th May 2024Live Indian students in Kyrgyzstan advised to “stay indoors” amid mob violence
18th May 2024Live Arunachal: Vehicle movement restricted on Pinjoli bridge in West Kamreng
18th May 2024WE RECOMMEND
“Swati Maliwal ka Sach”: AAP attacks Maliwal after purported clip from day of “assault” goes viral
In a post on social media platform X, AAP stated, "Swati Maliwal ka sach (Swati Maliwal's truth)." The post refers to a news story with a purported video clip of the Rajya Sabha MP and security personnel at CM Kejriwal's house on May 13. Delhi Police say that the video is yet to be authenticated by them.
17th May 2024Air India flight from Pune collides with tug truck before takeoff
Airport officials have confirmed the incident and stated that "the passengers were immediately deplaned and arrangements were made for an alternative flight to Delhi."
17th May 2024Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s mother, Madhvi Raje, passes away
The Civil Aviation Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia is seeking a fresh term in the Lok Sabha from Guna in Madhya Pradesh.
15th May 2024Flight Thief: Man boarded over 200 flights, robbed passengers mid-air of jewellery and goods worth crores
The police scanned several hours of CCTV footage from airports and arrested Rajesh Kapoor.
14th May 2024ICMR warns against sipping tea or coffee just before or after meals. Here is why
While the ICMR has not asked people to completely avoid tea or coffee, but it has cautioned consumers to beware of the caffeine content in these beverages.
14th May 2024