Africa-Press – South-Africa. An alert pilot has been applauded for his bravery after safely landing his aircraft despite a venomous stowaway snake being on board.
Rudolf Erasmus, 30, was flying with four passengers from Bloemfontein to Tshwane on Monday.
Erasmus spotted a large Cape cobra and calmly alerted his passengers.
According to the Lowvelder, he had felt something cold against his hip and had initially thought it was his water bottle leaking.
“It was receding under my chair. I kept quiet for minute or two, because I didn’t want the passengers to panic. I informed them a snake was under my seat in the cockpit and I needed to land the plane as soon as possible. Luckily everyone remained calm,” he told the newspaper.
He managed to land the Beechcraft Baron in Welkom after asking the traffic control for permission.
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) congratulated Erasmus on his bravery.
SACAA director Poppy Khoza said Erasmus had displayed impeccable bravery in landing his aircraft incident-free, albeit under extreme pressure, when he discovered the potentially deadly snake on board.
“In an incident that has gone viral globally this week, Erasmus needed to make an emergency landing in Welkom. He was initially flying from Bloemfontein to Pretoria with four passengers,” she said.
“I wish to congratulate Rudolf for the courageous steps taken and for how he handled what could have been a major aviation incident. He remained calm in the face of a dangerous situation.
“He managed to land the aircraft safely without harming him or his fellow passengers, displaying to the world that he is an aviation safety ambassador of the highest order.”
Khoza said that during the 2021/22 financial year, SACAA had reported a 25% decrease in general fatal accidents and a 26% decrease in aircraft fatalities.
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