A South African pilot recently had a real-life "Snakes on a Plane" situation when he spotted a cobra onboard while flying at 11,000 feet, forcing him to make a mid-flight emergency landing. Rudolf Erasmus (pictured) was flying his work colleagues in a Beechcraft Baron 58 over South Africa when he noticed a cold sensation on his hip. Thinking it was a bottle that was leaking, he bent down to take a closer look and was stunned to see a snake’s head disappearing beneath his seat. It didn’t come as a total shock, as workers at the flying club from which he departed had earlier spotted a snake taking shelter beneath the plane. Cape cobras are regarded as one of Africa’s most dangerous snake species, with their venom able to kill an adult in as little as 30 minutes. Erasmus said he tried to collect himself and prevent panic from setting in, which would have escalated the situation. He then focused all of his attention on landing the plane, which took 10-15 minutes to execute. All of the passengers were able to disembark without any injuries. Unfortunately, a snake handler who was called in was unable to locate the snake, even after the seats and panels from the plane had been removed. The snake handler and engineers believe that the snake somehow made its way out of the plane once it was on the ground.
