A pilot in South Africa made a hasty emergency landing after discovering a highly venomous cobra hiding under his seat.
In this photo provided by Brian Emmenis, people look inside a plane at the Welkom Airport, in Welkom, South Africa, as they search for a venomous snake that the pilot found hiding under his seat midair, Monday April 3, 2023. Rudolf Erasmus had four passengers on board the light aircraft during Monday's flight when he felt “something cold” slide across his lower back. He glanced down to see the head of a fairly large Cape Cobra “receding back under the seat,” he said.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Rudolf Erasmus had four passengers on board the light aircraft during Monday’s flight when he felt “something cold” slide across his lower back. He glanced down to see the head of a fairly large Cape Cobra “receding back under the seat,” he said.After taking a moment to compose himself, he informed his passengers of the slippery stowaway.Erasmus called air traffic control for permission to make an emergency landing in the town of Welkom in central South Africa.
Brian Emmenis, who works at Welkom radio station Gold FM and is also an aviation expert, received a phone call to see if he could help. He called the fire and rescue department, which sent emergency responders and a snake handler to meet the plane at the airport. Emmenis was first at the scene and saw everyone disembark, “visibly shaken,” Emmenis said, but all safe thanks to Erasmus.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Venomous snake found under South African pilot’s seat in mid-flightHe asked for permission to make an emergency landing, but still had to fly for 10 to 15 minutes and land the plane with the snake curled up by his feet.
Read more »
South Africa fights to keep phone networks up as lights go outOn a recent Friday morning north of Johannesburg, the head of South Africa's largest telecoms company surveyed the arsenal of backup systems keeping just one of his 15,000 network towers online amid the worst power cuts on record.
Read more »
South African rand edges higher ahead of PMI dataSouth Africa's rand edged higher on Wednesday ahead of the release of an economic survey that is expected to shed light on the business conditions in Africa's most industrialised economy.
Read more »
In South Africa, Insurers Fix Potholes, Sponsor Fire Brigades and Direct TrafficInsurance companies in South Africa are fixing potholes, sponsoring fire brigades and directing traffic in an attempt to lower payouts and lure new clients
Read more »
South Africa ends 'state of disaster' over crippling power outagesSouth Africa has been battered by record blackouts over the past year, triggered by mounting problems at the beleaguered power utility Eskom.
Read more »
BEV Sales In South Africa Look Set To Double Again In 2023 - CleanTechnicaSales of battery electric vehicles breached the 500 units per year mark in South Africa for the first time ever in 2022. Last year, 502 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were sold in South Africa, up from 218 in 2021. There has been a slow but steady increase in BEV sales in the country, punctuated by […]
Read more »