Body of man found in gear well of BA aircraft, LAX

Survivals of undercarraige bay stowaways have been known. This was the one that prompted me to search Google for hard facts

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CWU/is_2000_August_7/ai_63918543

and this came up too

http://www.stormingmedia.co.uk/57/5737/A573713.html?PHPSESSID=ee042c6655b68bff81922d9f6db09b18

Still don’t fancy trying it, though.

William

There’s the possibility that those who feel desperate enough to try this are not aware of the dangers. Does anyone think these poor people know of the intricacies of aircraft pressurisation?

My post on PPRuNe:
People do try and stow away at Heathrow.

I remember working when a BA 747 was lined up on the threshold of 27L about to go, and another a/c waiting at the hold came on frequency warning of a man who had scaled the perimeter fence by Hatton Cross and was sprinting towards the 747. The man disappeared up into the nosewheel bay.

Eventually he was apprehended by a combined Police and Airport Ops rugby scrum!

Perhaps also thinking of the SAA 747 that landed at JFK and a leg and torso fell into someone’s garden. When the wheel was lowered it severed the body and part of it fell out, I think other body parts were found along the approach too. The body was that of a stowaway who had climbed on in Senegal. The aircraft had to have minor repairs after some damage from the body.

That’s possibly the incident I was thinking of originally.

Paul

I believe it was Air France (i think – A340?) and when they lowered the gear upon approach to CDG a frozen body fell out onto somebodies conservatory and another fell shortly afterwards onto a car (i think but 100% sure of conservatory bit)

I think this was in 2005?

Perhaps also thinking of the SAA 747 that landed at JFK and a leg and torso fell into someone’s garden. When the wheel was lowered it severed the body and part of it fell out, I think other body parts were found along the approach too. The body was that of a stowaway who had climbed on in Senegal. The aircraft had to have minor repairs after some damage from the body.

I believe it was Air France (i think – A340?) and when they lowered the gear upon approach to CDG a frozen body fell out onto somebodies conservatory and another fell shortly afterwards onto a car (i think but 100% sure of conservatory bit)

I think this was in 2005?

Aah, thanks for that. I thought I may be wrong on the BA and America bit!

Paul

Wasn’t there a case a few years ago where the body of a stowaway actually fell from the wheel well as the gear was lowered? America and BA ring a bell for some reason, but I may be totally wrong on that.

I believe it was Air France (i think – A340?) and when they lowered the gear upon approach to CDG a frozen body fell out onto somebodies conservatory and another fell shortly afterwards onto a car (i think but 100% sure of conservatory bit)

I think this was in 2005?

Is there anyone who has worked on/in this section of a large aircraft. Im curious as to if there would be enough space to rest once the gear had been retracted and the wheels were still spinning? If so, is this part of the aircraft pressurised to any extent. If not, you would guess oxygen deprevation would be the cause of death before the extreme cold.

The wheel wells are not pressurised, and it seems oxygen depravation is indeed the main cause of death. I seem to remember cases where people have survived the actual gear retraction but not the flight itself. Wasn’t there a case a few years ago where the body of a stowaway actually fell from the wheel well as the gear was lowered? America and BA ring a bell for some reason, but I may be totally wrong on that.

Maybe they do indeed Paul, but that would be scant consolation to the families of 400 passengers killed because their aircraft crashed on landing without nosegear.

A very fair point but it’s one I’m already aware of. I was simply trying to put forward the idea that these people may be so messed up or scared they’re incapable of thinking logically about what they’re doing.

It has to be said though, and correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m not aware of any aircraft that crashed fatally because of a stowaway in the landing gear. Squishy people tend not to be much of a match for big hydraulics. 🙁

Paul

Is there anyone who has worked on/in this section of a large aircraft. Im curious as to if there would be enough space to rest once the gear had been retracted and the wheels were still spinning? If so, is this part of the aircraft pressurised to any extent. If not, you would guess oxygen deprevation would be the cause of death before the extreme cold.

Perhaps some of these ‘muppets’ feel dying in the wheel well of a passenger jet, be it from cold, heat, crushing or oxygen depravation is a much happier fate than the one set out for them in their own country. I think that’s quite sad, actually.

Paul

Maybe they do indeed Paul, but that would be scant consolation to the families of 400 passengers killed because their aircraft crashed on landing without nosegear.

When will these muppets ever learn?? you hear of these tales quite often and are almost always fatal, not to mention the danger they can cause to the aircraft and passengers should their bodies get caught in the mechanics of the nose gear:mad:

Perhaps some of these ‘muppets’ feel dying in the wheel well of a passenger jet, be it from cold, heat, crushing or oxygen depravation is a much happier fate than the one set out for them in their own country. I think that’s quite sad, actually.

Paul

body is belived to be that of a young south african boy born in 1989.

Such sad news.

Deja vu….will they ever learn???

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Body-of-plane-stowaway-falls-on-US-home/2005/06/08/1118123870939.html

just noticed you have edited your reply while i was doing mine…..

so… a Security issue / or checks not being carried out correctly at a/some airport/s

Rick

“”””The FBI said the stowaway had died in the wheel well, although autopsy results are not expected until later in the week.

The dead man has not been identified, but an investigator said he was carrying South African papers.

The plane had made trips to Hong Kong, Singapore, Cape Town in South Africa and Vancouver before arriving at Heathrow on Sunday.
Information Site Map “””

Yes i know he was found at LAX… What i meant was that it does not state if he was killed at LAX so how…. (but thinking about it, its impossible as he was in the wheel well rather than ran over or due to any other moving parts while taxi’ing in the wheel well…

But if he had come from South Aficra…. how come the other pre-flight checks missed him??

Cheers

Very Sad news…

I have a few questions………

his he a stowaway trying to get out of the US?
(its states they think he died in the wheel well rather than due to extreme cold etc?? (but that could be a cover up?)

If he is a stowaway from the US, how is the Securtiy at LAX?? coffee break??

RicKT

He was found at LAX!!!
Why a cover up?

If there is a security issue, it probably wasn’t at LHR or LAX…and since he’s a South African…could it be he hopped on in Africa? :rolleyes:

Logically, he either snuck aboard in London where the plane departed for LA from…or earlier in Africa and went unnoticed by BA flight and groundcrews at LHR. If that’s the case, I’d say the flightcrew didn’t do a very good walk around before flight.

Very Sad news…

I have a few questions………

his he a stowaway trying to get out of the US?
(its states they think he died in the wheel well rather than due to extreme cold etc?? (but that could be a cover up?)

If he is a stowaway from the US, how is the Securtiy at LAX?? coffee break??

Could he of been a passenger of the flight or an other flight.. and some how didnt board and went for a walk?? (has it said he had “South Afican Papers” on him)

The flight had been to south africa before leaving to go to LHR to LAX, could he of been there a while??

I know this is guess work… and we will find out in due course… but the final thing comes down to security….

RicKT

body is belived to be that of a young south african boy born in 1989.

Such sad news.

When will these muppets ever learn?? you hear of these tales quite often and are almost always fatal, not to mention the danger they can cause to the aircraft and passengers should their bodies get caught in the mechanics of the nose gear:mad:

Heres SKY NEWS link

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1249349,00.html

RicKT