A 13-year-old boy miraculously survived an entire flight while hiding in the landing gear of an airplane traveling from Afghanistan to India.
The Afghan teenager concealed himself in the rear wheel well of a Kam Air passenger plane as it departed from Kabul and later landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Sunday, Sept. 21, according to the BBC, CNN, and The Indian Express.
Reports indicate that the boy, whose identity has not been disclosed, intended to travel to Iran. Mistakenly believing the Delhi-bound flight was heading to Tehran, he sneaked into Kabul airport and hid in the aircraft’s rear section.
After the roughly 620-mile journey, which typically takes about 90 minutes, airport staff found the teen in his pajamas wandering alone on the tarmac. They alerted the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), who took him in for questioning.
Following detailed questioning by Immigration Department officials, he was sent back on the same aircraft at around 4:00 p.m. local time, The Express reported.
“Upon inquiry, it turned out that he hid in the rear central landing gear compartment (rear wheel well) of the aircraft. He is from Kunduz city, Afghanistan,” the CISF stated, according to the outlet.
Authorities added that during a subsequent aircraft security check, airline security and engineering staff discovered a small red-colored audio speaker in the rear landing gear area.
Citing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), The Express noted that 132 people attempted to travel in the landing gear compartments of commercial planes between 1947 and 2021.
Wheel-well stowaways face extreme risks. The Indian Express and CNN report that the estimated mortality rate is around 77% due to low oxygen levels and freezing temperatures at altitudes of 30,000 to 40,000 feet. Unlike the pressurized and heated cabins, landing gear compartments expose stowaways to severe cold and hypothermia, as well as potential injuries upon landing impact.
