CNN.com
The body of a stowaway was found early Friday in the wheel well of an American Airlines jet that had just finished a flight from Miami to Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
The body was found about 1 a.m. by an airport worker after passengers had disembarked. The Wayne County Medical Examiner’s office said the man is estimated to be in his 20s and died from a lack of oxygen stemming from high altitudes. Chief Investigator Albert Samuels said the death was accidental.
Authorities are hoping to use the man’s fingerprints to establish his identity.
Airport spokeswoman Barbara Hogan said the man was wearing a T-shirt and pants and carrying coins from the Dominican Republic. He was not carrying identification.
Hogan said the flight originated in the Caribbean, but the airline would not confirm where it originated. American Airlines said the plane left Miami about 9:45 p.m. Thursday and landed at Detroit Metro about 12:50 a.m.
American Airlines spokeswoman Jacquie Young said the body was found in the left main wheel well of the Boeing 737. The airline said it was trying to determine when and where the stowaway got into the well.
People have attempted to stow away on flights in the wheel wells of airliners, a particularly dangerous practice because of extreme temperature and air pressure conditions.
By: Bmused55 - 28th October 2004 at 11:49
There was a story of the last flight out of Vietnam during the end of the war with a 727 taking off with 300 passengers incl some stowaways.
It struggled into the air but did make it. Apparently AFAIK it was the Boeing president or some high-ranking Boeing person at the controls.I recall seeing a pic of the 727 flying with the main gear down and a body hanging from the well.
TNZ
That plane was shot at and even suffered a grenade attack.
Due to the folks in the wheels they only flew at a low level.
When they got to where they were going… it was not thought possible that the plane could fly!
By: Bmused55 - 28th October 2004 at 11:49
There was a story of the last flight out of Vietnam during the end of the war with a 727 taking off with 300 passengers incl some stowaways.
It struggled into the air but did make it. Apparently AFAIK it was the Boeing president or some high-ranking Boeing person at the controls.I recall seeing a pic of the 727 flying with the main gear down and a body hanging from the well.
TNZ
That plane was shot at and even suffered a grenade attack.
Due to the folks in the wheels they only flew at a low level.
When they got to where they were going… it was not thought possible that the plane could fly!
By: turbo_NZ - 28th October 2004 at 03:18
There was a story of the last flight out of Vietnam during the end of the war with a 727 taking off with 300 passengers incl some stowaways.
It struggled into the air but did make it. Apparently AFAIK it was the Boeing president or some high-ranking Boeing person at the controls.
I recall seeing a pic of the 727 flying with the main gear down and a body hanging from the well.
TNZ
By: turbo_NZ - 28th October 2004 at 03:18
There was a story of the last flight out of Vietnam during the end of the war with a 727 taking off with 300 passengers incl some stowaways.
It struggled into the air but did make it. Apparently AFAIK it was the Boeing president or some high-ranking Boeing person at the controls.
I recall seeing a pic of the 727 flying with the main gear down and a body hanging from the well.
TNZ
By: Papa Lima - 28th October 2004 at 00:16
Probably a typical journalistic mistake using metres for height instead of feet.
By: Papa Lima - 28th October 2004 at 00:16
Probably a typical journalistic mistake using metres for height instead of feet.
By: wysiwyg - 27th October 2004 at 23:01
Can ATR’s fly as high as 5000/6000 metres?
I doubt they would have the performance to do it however they would need to have drop down oxygen fitted in order to operate above FL250 (about 4 miles up) with passengers under JAR.
By: wysiwyg - 27th October 2004 at 23:01
Can ATR’s fly as high as 5000/6000 metres?
I doubt they would have the performance to do it however they would need to have drop down oxygen fitted in order to operate above FL250 (about 4 miles up) with passengers under JAR.
By: Ren Frew - 24th October 2004 at 14:37
There’s also been cases of wheel bay stowaways surving high altitude flights only to fall to their deaths as the gear is lowered for landing.
By: Ren Frew - 24th October 2004 at 14:37
There’s also been cases of wheel bay stowaways surving high altitude flights only to fall to their deaths as the gear is lowered for landing.
By: Papa Lima - 24th October 2004 at 14:23
Found this newspaper article from 2000
A stowaway was found in the wheel compartment of an ATR-72 aircraft operated by Vietnam Airlines on 24 November.
The airline grounded the aircraft after the man was discovered during a stopover in Nha Trang. The aircraft was en route from Ho Chi Minh City to Denang. The flight to Nha Trang takes about 70 minutes, with the aircraft flying at an altitude of 5,000 to 6,000 metres, an airline spokesperson told Reuters.
The man was apparently in good condition and was flown back to Ho Chi Minh City on another flight the same day. The 22-year-old man had apparently fallen asleep in the wheel well after wandering into Tan Son Nhat Airport from a nearby rice field and did not get out because he was afraid of being caught as a thief according to Thanh Nien, a local newspaper.
By: Papa Lima - 24th October 2004 at 14:23
Found this newspaper article from 2000
A stowaway was found in the wheel compartment of an ATR-72 aircraft operated by Vietnam Airlines on 24 November.
The airline grounded the aircraft after the man was discovered during a stopover in Nha Trang. The aircraft was en route from Ho Chi Minh City to Denang. The flight to Nha Trang takes about 70 minutes, with the aircraft flying at an altitude of 5,000 to 6,000 metres, an airline spokesperson told Reuters.
The man was apparently in good condition and was flown back to Ho Chi Minh City on another flight the same day. The 22-year-old man had apparently fallen asleep in the wheel well after wandering into Tan Son Nhat Airport from a nearby rice field and did not get out because he was afraid of being caught as a thief according to Thanh Nien, a local newspaper.
By: Papa Lima - 24th October 2004 at 14:21
beistrich, are you asking if anyone ever survived after stowing away in a wheel well? (I don’t know, by the way)
By: Papa Lima - 24th October 2004 at 14:21
beistrich, are you asking if anyone ever survived after stowing away in a wheel well? (I don’t know, by the way)
By: beistrich - 24th October 2004 at 14:17
was anytime anyone who alive this?
By: beistrich - 24th October 2004 at 14:17
was anytime anyone who alive this?
By: airband1 - 24th October 2004 at 10:40
I have never had understood why people do that. Is it cause they havent got passports or on the run or what??
I would think it’s because they think they’ll have a better life in America
By: airband1 - 24th October 2004 at 10:40
I have never had understood why people do that. Is it cause they havent got passports or on the run or what??
I would think it’s because they think they’ll have a better life in America
By: Airline owner - 24th October 2004 at 10:15
I have never had understood why people do that. Is it cause they havent got passports or on the run or what??
By: Airline owner - 24th October 2004 at 10:15
I have never had understood why people do that. Is it cause they havent got passports or on the run or what??
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October 24, 2004 at 10:13 am