Wheel-well stowaways are people who attempt to travel in the landing gear compartment, also known as wheel bay, or undercarriage) of an aircraft. Between 1947 and June 2015, a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) researcher had documented 113 such attempts on 101 flights. These 113 people were all male and predominantly under age 30.
How many stowaways have been found on US planes?
There are only three cases in the United States involving stowaways hiding on US airlines’ planes. In 1972, authorities found a frozen body in the wheel well of a flight from San Diego to New York. The body of a young man who hid in a flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Boston fell from the aircraft into a residential area in 2010.
What is a wheelwell stowaway?
Wheel-well stowaways are people who attempt to travel in the landing gear compartment, also known as wheel bay, or undercarriage) of an aircraft. Between 1947 and June 2015, a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) researcher had documented 113 such attempts on 101 flights.
What is the meaning of stowaway?
: to secrete oneself aboard a vehicle as a means of obtaining transportation Examples of stowaway in a Sentence Noun A stowaway was discovered on the ship.
How do stowaways die on planes?
When a plane reaches 22,000ft (6,710m), a stowaway will be struggling to keep conscious as blood oxygen level drops. Then compartment doors re-open a few thousand feet above ground for landing, which can cause stowaways to fall to their deaths.
What happens to stowaways on planes?
Another F.A.A. report found that while successful stowaways spur others to attempt similar journeys, few survive the part of the flight where the plane is cruising at high altitude. Those who do are often unconscious during descent and can fall to their deaths when the landing gear is lowered.
Where do stowaways hide on a plane?
Wheel-well stowaways are people who attempt to travel in the landing gear compartment, also known as wheel bay, or undercarriage) of an aircraft.
Has anyone survived being a stowaway on a plane?
A 22-year-old man who was discovered hiding in the wheel section of a cargo plane at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport on Sunday survived an 11-hour flight, Dutch military police have said.
How does stowaway work?
The FAL Convention defines a stowaway as "A person who is secreted on a ship, or in cargo which is subsequently loaded on the ship, without the consent of the shipowner or the Master or any other responsible person and who is detected on board the ship after it has departed from a port, or in the cargo while unloading ...
Can you survive holding on to a plane?
A pilot got sucked out of an exploded window in 1990, and was left hanging on to the crew for his life. They pulled him in a few minutes later, frostbitten but alive. As for full flights, a Romanian man clinging to the landing gear from Vienna to London (750 miles) survived though he also got frostbite.
Can you freeze to death on a plane?
But after sneaking into the undercarriage of the British Airways aircraft, Mr Komur tragically froze to death mid-flight after being exposed to below freezing temperatures of -60C which triggered fatal brain damage.
How long can you be stuck on a plane?
According to the Department of Transportation, airlines are allowed to keep passengers on a departing flight for up to three hours (or four for an international flight) before they are required to start moving the plane “to a location where passengers can safely get off.” There are exceptions, of course, which are ...
Can you sleep on the floor of an airplane?
Can I sleep on the floor of an airplane? It's not considered acceptable to sleep on the floor of the airplane. Not only is it fairly unhygienic, but you'll endanger your own safety and the safety of other passengers.
Do planes have brakes on the wheels?
Most airplanes have brakes located on their wheels. Typically, the brakes will be placed on the wheel's inboard side. Planes also use thrust reversers to slow down. Thrust reversers use the plane's engine thrust to reduce speed.
Why can't they turn around in stowaway?
Quite simply, there's just not enough fuel. The amount of fuel needed here to decelerate the rocket, turn it around and build up the thrust needed to get back to Earth is just too much and there's no way now that the ship is speeding toward Mars.
What happens when you hide in the landing gear of a plane?
1:539:09What Happens if You Hide in the Landing Gear - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAs you climb upward that will turn into weakness. And vision impairment at 22 000 feet you barelyMoreAs you climb upward that will turn into weakness. And vision impairment at 22 000 feet you barely have enough oxygen for your body to function properly. So you'll likely go unconscious.
What to do if you find a stowaway?
Any stowaways found should be placed in secure quarters, guarded if possible, and be provided with adequate food and water. They should be searched as well as the place where they were found for identification papers. Where there is more than one stowaway, they should be detained separately.
What happens to stowaways on ships?
If stowaways are hiding in containers, cars or other types of cargo units and subsequently loaded on a vessel for a long journey they are likely to be discovered. Any stowaways found should be placed in secure quarters, guarded if possible, and be provided with adequate food and water.
How many stowaways fall from plane's?
According to the US Federal Aviation Administration, from 1947 to February 2020, 128 people around the world attempted to stow away in this manner. More than 75% of them died.
Can you hide in the landing gear of a plane?
0:599:09What Happens if You Hide in the Landing Gear - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut they completely forget that they're risking hypothermia hypoxia tinnitus deafness frostbiteMoreBut they completely forget that they're risking hypothermia hypoxia tinnitus deafness frostbite acidosis and falling from the wheel well when the airplane.
Can you survive on side of plane?
US Federal Aviation Authority records suggest that, at best, one in four stowaways survives. Others die or fall in transit; some are crushed when the mechanised landing gear retracts into the wheel well; most survivors suffer severe hypothermia or frostbite, often losing limbs.
Aeromedical physiology
At altitudes above approximately 2,500 m (8,000 ft), hypothermia becomes a risk and reduced atmospheric pressure and partial pressure of oxygen, which drop below the level required to support brain consciousness at the cruising altitudes of jet aircraft, may impair physiological processes.
In the media
Wheel-well stowaways have been widely covered in the press and media at large throughout the history of passenger airlines.
List of wheel-well stowaways
Below is a chronological list of documented aircraft wheel-well stowaway incidents. Stowaways have also traveled in a cargo hold, or in a spare parts compartment, both of which are pressurized, or even in the pressurized cabin itself.
How many stowaway aircraft were found in the UK?
Between January 2004 and March 2015, six stowaways were found on aircraft at UK airports, according to the most recent figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Another stowaway was found on board a UK airline at an overseas airport.
How high can a stowaway be?
Above a typical long-haul cruising altitude of 33,000ft (10,065m) - or higher - lungs require artificial pressure to function normally. When a plane reaches 22,000ft (6,710m), a stowaway will be struggling to keep conscious as blood oxygen level drops.
How many stowaways are killed?
There have been several cases of stowaways being found dead in the UK.
What happens during the flight?
There are serious risks associated with the extreme conditions people face if they try to travel in the undercarriage of a plane.
How many people hid under planes?
Figures from the US Federal Aviation Administration suggested that 96 people hid under planes during flights around the world between 1947 and 2012, with incidents occurring on 85 flights.
Where did the stowaway fall?
A suspected stowaway is believed to have fallen to his death from a Kenya Airways flight from Nairobi to Heathrow, landing in a garden in south London.
Do survivors travel long distances?
Survivors tend to have travelled fairly short distances and to have been fairly young.
What does "stowaway" mean?
English Language Learners Definition of stowaway. : someone who hides on a ship, airplane, etc., in order to travel without paying or being seen. See the full definition for stowaway in the English Language Learners Dictionary.
What happened to the stowaway on Mars?
— Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 18 May 2021 On a mission headed to Mars, an unintended stowaway accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems.
Is "stowaway" a noun?
Noun A stowaway was discovered on the ship.
How do stowaways hide in planes?
Climbing on the tires of an airplane and up the landing gear structure is not difficult, experts say.
How many countries have stowaways gone undetected?
Stowaways have gone undetected and hopped aboard planes in 44 different countries, the FAA said.
What happened to the refugee who was hit by a stowaway?
The man, who had been asleep, was nearly hit by the suspected stowaway who had plunged from a plane as it lowered its wheel and prepared to land. The refugee was seen dropping out of a Kenya Airways flight at 4,000 feet at about 3.30pm on Sunday.
Which country has the most stowaway cases?
AFP/Getty Images/File. Stowaway found dead after falling from British Airways plane in London. The country with the most reports is Cuba, with 9, followed by the Dominican Republic and China. As many as 34 cases have originated from airports in Africa but a breakdown of African nations was not immediately available.
Can you get crushed in a plane?
After sneaking into the wheel well of a plane – the most common method of stowing away – they can get crushed when the landing gear starts going in. There’s not much room; in many aircraft it’s even smaller than the trunk of a car.
Can a stowaway die in an airplane?
Stowaways hiding in airplanes risk falling or freezing to death. But that doesn't stop them from trying | CNN
Who are the stowaways?
Most tend to be men who are attempting to make their way to Europe or North America, from developing countries.
How many stowaway aircraft were found in the UK?
Between January 2004 and March 2015, six stowaways were found on aircraft at UK airports, according to the most recent figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Another stowaway was found on board a UK airline at an overseas airport.
What happens during the flight?
There are serious risks associated with the extreme conditions people face if they try to travel in the undercarriage of a plane.
How high can a stowaway be?
Above a typical long-haul cruising altitude of 33,000ft (10,065m) - or higher - lungs require artificial pressure to function normally. When a plane reaches 22,000ft (6,710m), a stowaway will be struggling to keep conscious as blood oxygen level drops.
Where did the stowaway fall?
A suspected stowaway is believed to have fallen to his death from a Kenya Airways flight from Nairobi to Heathrow, landing in a garden in south London.
Do survivors travel long distances?
Survivors tend to have travelled fairly short distances and to have been fairly young.
Do stowaways make it to their destinations?
Aviation expert Irene King told the BBC that many stowaways don't make it to their destinations, making it difficult to gauge the number of incidences.
Overview
In the media
Wheel-well stowaways have been widely covered in the press and media at large throughout the history of passenger airlines. One of the most notable incidents involved Keith Sapsford (14) from Sydney, Australia who fell 200 feet (60 m) to his death from the wheel-well of a Tokyo bound Japan Air Lines Douglas DC-8 on February 24, 1970, shortly after takeoff from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport. Amateur photographer John Gilpin was taking pictures of planes taking off that day, and …
Aeromedical physiology
At altitudes above approximately 2,500 m (8,000 ft), hypothermia becomes a risk and reduced atmospheric pressure and partial pressure of oxygen, which drop below the level required to support brain consciousness at the cruising altitudes of jet aircraft, may impair physiological processes. At altitudes above 6,000 m (20,000 ft), stowaways may also develop decompression sickness and nitrogen gas embolism.
List of wheel-well stowaways
Below is a chronological list of documented aircraft wheel-well stowaway incidents. Stowaways have also traveled in a cargo hold, or in a spare parts compartment, both of which are pressurized, or even in the pressurized cabin itself. In at least one other instance, on July 31, 2013, a cat survived a flight from Athens to Zürich in the front undercarriage of an Airbus A321. Those types of incidents are not included in the scope of the list below.
External links
• Out of the Blue and Into the Lawn: The Mystery Stowaway