Snakes on a Plane - No, really...

[C152_driver]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-65188013

"South Africa snake on plane: Deadly cobra in cockpit forces emergency landing"

That has to have been one of the more interesting passenger briefs. Also, would you squawk 7500?

[Richard Taylor]

Must have been a skilful cobra to be able to do that on his own.

[ShyTorque]

Airacobra?

[Less Hair]

Wouldn't cool temperatures slow down a snake's moves? So open the storm window, lower the aircon and try to paralyse it.

[RatherBeFlying]

Most likely rodents have gotten inside the plane and the snake has followed their scent in search of a meal.

If a suspected venomous snake emerges in flight, make any necessary movements slow and deliberate.

If as suggested you drop the interior temperature, the snake might decide to snuggle up to a warm human body :p

[stevef]

A company I worked for in Botswana had a similar incident in the early 2000s. The few minutes of flight prior to landing was carried out with the C208 crew having their feet nowhere near the rudder pedals. :eek:

[megan]

Snakes and crocodiles in the cockpit.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/05/snake-cockpit-pilot-emergency-landing

Local airport friend while at the refuel point.


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x768/136_06c6c48dcb83bc2dd302957583e91ec01e89df5b.jpg

[Gary Brown]

On the BBC radio this morning, the pilot of the aircraft said that they haven't yet found the snake or seen it leaving ....... might want to check the tail number of any Beechcraft Baron 58s you board down there........

[Jhieminga]

For sale: Beech 58 Baron, as is, no delivery available. ;)

[Less Hair]

Wear some gaiters onboard and off you go, they even have a metal free variant.
https://youtu.be/TJ5ZnhkvWko
https://snakeprotex.com/

Disclaimer: Not related to them in any way

[NoelEvans]

I remember many years ago when stopping off at Richards Bay on the Zululand coast (an area well known for snakes), the captain of the day-stopping F27 insisted on the steps being moved away from the aeroplane before they left for the hotel. The reason that he gave was to remove any easy route into the aeroplane for a snake -- as he said, he did not want to be climbing through FL120 on his way home that evening to find a mamba down near the rudder pedals! Different "TEM" issues in different parts of the world!!

[MechEngr]

Snakes aren't the only ones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_8mdH20qTQ

[SamyOS]

What a professional pilot! It must've been shocking.

[anxiao]

Very much agree Samy. From thinking a water bottle has got down your back to discovering it was a cobra shows a very cool operator.