About Emergency Landing
An emergency landing is a prioritised landing made by an aircraft in response to an emergency containing an imminent or ongoing threat to the safety and operation of the aircraft or involving a sudden need for a passenger or crew on board to be on land, such as a medical emergency.
'Kudos' for pilot who landed plane safely on A40 near Cheltenham
...By Dawn LimbuBBC NewsWitnesses who saw a light aircraft make an Emergency Landing on a dual carriageway have congratulated the pilot for making a smooth landing...
Light aircraft makes emergency landing on A40 near Cheltenham
... Gloucestershire Airport director, Jason Ivey, said: " We are aware that a pilot has had to perform an Emergency Landing on the public highway due to a suspected engine failure...
South Africa snake on plane: Deadly cobra in cockpit forces emergency landing
... " He then made an Emergency Landing on his flight from Bloemfontein to Pretoria...
Alexei Navalny: Russia's jailed vociferous Putin critic
... That Emergency Landing saved his life...
Greece aircraft crash: Footage shows cargo plane on fire before hitting ground
... The pilot reportedly requested an Emergency Landing at Kavala airport due to an engine problem but was unable to reach the runway...
Near-miss for pilot saved from downed plane hit by train
... Near-miss for pilot saved from downed plane hit by trainMoments after a plane made an Emergency Landing on some train tracks, bystanders and police pulled the injured pilot out of the aircraft...
Ryanair plane from Manchester diverted to France over smoke smell
...A Ryanair flight from Manchester had to make an Emergency Landing in France after smoke was smelt on board, the airline has said...
Delta Air Lines has sued the California teachers fuel dump
...Four teachers sued Delta Air Lines after one of its aircraft dumped fuel over schools, as it made an Emergency Landing...
South Africa snake on plane: Deadly cobra in cockpit forces emergency landing
By Cecilia MacaulayBBC News
It felt like just another flight for South African pilot Rudolph Erasmus, until he noticed an extra passenger on his plane at 11,000ft in the air.
However, it wasn't a human, but a Cobra slithering under his seat.
" To be truly honest, it's As If my brain did not register what was going on, " he told The Bbc .
" It was a moment of [. . ] awe, " he added, saying he initially thought the cold feeling on his back was his water bottle.
" I felt this cool sensation, sort of, crawling up my shirt, " He Said , thinking he may not have closed The Bottle properly and water might have been dripping down his shirt.
" As I turned to The Left and looked down I saw The Cobra [. . ] receding its head backwards underneath the seat. "
He then made an Emergency Landing on his flight from Bloemfontein to Pretoria. The plane was carrying four others, as well as The Snake .
A bite from a Cape Cobra is lethal and can kill someone in just 30 Minutes , so not wanting to cause panic, Mr Erasmus says he thought carefully before calmly telling those on board that there was an extra unwanted passenger.
He was also " so scared The Snake might have gone to the back and cause mass panic".
In The End , he decided the tell them. " I did inform The Passengers : 'Listen The Snake is inside the aircraft, it's underneath my seat, so let's try and get down to the ground as soon as we can. '"
So how did The Passengers react? Mr Erasmus described a moment of absolute silence: " You could hear a needle drop and I think everyone froze for a moment or two. "
Pilots are trained for lots of scenarios, but certainly not for dealing with snakes in The Cockpit He Said , telling The Bbc that panicking would have just made The Situation worse.
The plane made an Emergency Landing in The City of Welkom.
However, The Presence of The Snake , although shocking, was not a total surprise. Two People working at Worcester flying club where the plane first took off, said they had earlier spotted a reptile taking refuge under the aircraft. They tried to " grab" it, but without success.
Mr Erasmus said he tried to find The Snake before boarding the aircraft with his passengers, but " unfortunately it was not there, so we all then safely assumed that it must have crawled out overnight or earlier that morning, which was on Monday".
The slithering passenger is Still Missing , as engineers who then stripped the plane are yet to find it.
Mr Erasmus has been hailed a hero, with South African civil aviation commissioner, Poppy Khosa, praising his " great airmanship indeed which saved all lives on board, " according to the News24 site.
But the modest pilot says he doesn't feel like he's special for what he did: " I think that's a bit blown up if I can be direct, " He Said . " It's also my passengers that remained calm as well. "
Related TopicsSource of news: bbc.com