Lowveld pilot praised for his calm attitude at altitude
The South African Civil Aviation Authority has lauded Lowveld pilot Rudolf Erasmus for safely landing his aircraft with four passengers on board after discovering a snake on the plane mid-flight.
A Lowveld pilot has been praised for his bravery by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) following an emergency landing he had to make after discovering a snake on board last week.
Rudolf Erasmus had been flying four passengers from Worcester to the old Nelspruit Airfield last Monday, April 3, when he realised, 11 000ft in the air, that there was a fifth surprise passenger aboard his Beechcraft Baron 58; what he took to be a Cape cobra.
SACAA has since released a statement congratulating Erasmus for ‘displaying impeccable bravery’.
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“On behalf of the board, myself and the entire SACAA staff, we wish to congratulate Rudolf on his bravery and the way he handled what could have been a major aviation incident in South Africa,” said SACAA’s director of civil aviation, Poppy Khoza.
“He remained calm on a plane that was facing danger. Rudolf’s actions were textbook. In doing so, he was able to land safely without any harm to him and the fellow passengers on board, displaying to the world that he is an aviation safety ambassador of the highest order.”
Following the emergency landing last Monday, searches for the snake throughout Monday afternoon, Tuesday and Wednesday morning by a snake catcher and aircraft engineer proved unsuccessful.
It is thought by Erasmus and Chris Hobkirk of Lowveld Venom Suppliers that the snake had disembarked on its own while the aircraft was grounded.
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Erasmus flew the aircraft back to Mbombela, landing at the old Nelspruit Airfield last Wednesday morning.
Hobkirk said he sent out snake catchers after Erasmus had landed. They set up traps inside and around the aircraft. “This is the first time our team had heard of a snake being on a plane, but we have had plenty of incidents of snakes in vehicles.”
He said it was simpler finding a snake in a car engine or vehicle body than in a plane, as a wing of an aircraft was like a honeycomb, with plenty of nooks and crannies for a snake to hide. “It is highly likely that the snake made it out of the plane before it reached Mbombela.”
