At 11,000ft in the air, a South African pilot named Rudolph Erasmus discovered a deadly cobra slithering in the cockpit. The frightful reptile was found under the pilot's seat, and Erasmus while sharing the experience said that he was initially in awe and did not comprehend what was happening. He mistook the cold sensation on his back for water from his bottle, which he believed he had not sealed correctly, causing water to drip down his back.

The deadly incident happened in a private plane, Beechcraft Baron 58, while the flight was en route from Bloemfontein to Pretoria. Erasmus noticed a cool sensation crawling up his shirt and initially mistook it for his water bottle. Knowing that a snake's bite can be lethal and lead to death within 30 minutes, Erasmus carefully informed his four passengers about the situation to avoid panic. The plane made an emergency landing in Welkom.

Interestingly, the presence of the snake did not come as a surprise to Erasmus, as two employees had seen it enter the aircraft earlier. Erasmus tried to find the snake before boarding the passengers, but failed. Engineers who checked the plane later could not find the snake either. Erasmus received praise for his calm handling of the situation, but he insisted that his passengers also remained calm and played a crucial role.