According to local media, a South African pilot made a safe emergency landing after spotting a snake under his seat.
On Monday morning, Rudolph Erasmus was transporting four people from Cape Town to the northern town of Nelspruit, but he was forced to terminate the flight when he felt something cold on his body, according to Times Live news website.
“As I turned to my left and looked down, I saw the [Cape] cobra putting its head back underneath my seat,” he is quoted as saying.
The bite of a Cape cobra can kill a man in 30 minutes.
South African civil aviation commissioner has hailed Mr Erasmus as a hero, news24 website reports.
“Great airmanship indeed which saved all lives on board,” Poppy Khosa is quoted as saying.
The pilot said he was unsure if he should tell his passengers after spotting the snake during the flight. He said he didn’t want to cause a panic.
“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 is quoted as saying.
At Welkom, he was able to perform an emergency landing.
According to Mr. Erasmus, engineers who dismantled the aircraft did not discover the rogue reptile.
On Wednesday, he intends to fly the aircraft once again.