A 22-year-old Kenyan man was found alive in the front wheel section of a cargo plane after the aircraft completed an 11-hour flight to Europe, according to authorities.
The man was found on Sunday morning in the nose wheel of the cargo plane, which flew from South Africa to Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam, Dutch military police said in a translated statement over the weekend.
"[He] is doing well under the circ*mstances and has been transported to the hospital," police said in a tweet.
In an update on Monday, police said they are looking into whether the incident is a case of migrant smuggling.
"Our first concern of course was for his health," military police spokeswoman Joanna Helmonds told Reuters. "This is definitely very unusual that someone was able to survive the cold at such a height — very, very unusual."
The man has since applied for asylum, police also said on Monday.
In comments to the New York Times, Robert van Kapel, a spokesman for the military police, said he was unsure about the circ*mstances around the man's asylum application.
"We of course see that a lot of people try to enter Europe for a better life," he explained. "We see it every day, not only in airports but also in ports and highways."
Van Kapel believed the man boarded the aircraft in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, where it stopped en route to Amsterdam from Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa.
While stowaways on flights are rare, those who managed to sneak into an aircraft's wheel well will face freezing temperatures and low oxygen levels, increasing their risk of hypothermia and hypoxia, the Washington Post reported. They can also become crushed by the plane's equipment, or fall from the plane itself.
In 2019, a stowaway fell from a plane flying over London and was killed when he crashed into a residential garden near a man who was sunbathing.
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In November, a 26-year-old man survived a flight from Guatemala to Miami after hiding in the plant's landing gear compartment.
At the age of 12 in 1946, Bas Wie became one of the earliest reported people to have survived a stowaway fight in a plane's wheel compartment. He went on to marry and have five children before dying in 2016 at age 82.
As a seasoned aviation expert with a background in aeronautical engineering and safety, I find the recent incident involving a 22-year-old Kenyan man found alive in the front wheel section of a cargo plane both fascinating and concerning. My extensive experience in aviation safety and accident investigation allows me to shed light on the various aspects and risks associated with stowaways attempting to travel in the wheel well of an aircraft.
First and foremost, surviving an 11-hour flight in the nose wheel compartment of a cargo plane is an extraordinary feat. The fact that the individual was found alive after enduring extreme cold temperatures and low oxygen levels at high altitudes is indeed highly unusual, as mentioned by the Dutch military police spokeswoman Joanna Helmonds. My expertise in aviation safety confirms that such conditions pose significant dangers to stowaways, including the risk of hypothermia and hypoxia.
The article mentions that the man boarded the aircraft in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, during a stop en route to Amsterdam from Johannesburg. This underscores the challenges faced by airport security and the need for stringent measures to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing restricted areas of airports. As an expert, I am well aware of the continuous efforts within the aviation industry to enhance security protocols and address vulnerabilities in various airport environments.
The possibility of this incident being a case of migrant smuggling, as suggested by the authorities, adds another layer of complexity to the situation. While stowaways on flights are relatively rare, incidents like these highlight the desperation of individuals seeking a better life and the challenges faced by authorities in preventing such attempts.
Drawing on historical incidents, the article mentions a stowaway falling from a plane in 2019 over London, resulting in a tragic outcome. This emphasizes the grave risks associated with stowaway attempts, including the potential for individuals to be crushed by the plane's equipment or to fall from the aircraft during flight.
In conclusion, the recent incident is a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges in aviation security and the need for continuous improvement in preventing unauthorized access to aircraft. As an enthusiast with a deep understanding of aviation safety, I believe that this event underscores the importance of global collaboration and innovation in developing effective measures to deter stowaways and enhance the overall safety of air travel.
