French authorities were astonished to find a man alive in the landing gear compartment of an Air Algerie flight from Oran, Algeria, upon its arrival at Paris’s Orly airport. The man, believed to be in his 20s and lacking any form of identification, was discovered during technical checks. Despite facing severe hypothermia, the individual was alive. He was promptly taken to the hospital in serious condition.
The discovery raises questions about the extraordinary conditions the stowaway endured. Commercial aircraft maintain cruising altitudes of 30,000 to 40,000 feet, where temperatures can plummet to around -50 degrees Celsius (-58F). Additionally, the lack of oxygen in the landing gear compartment makes survival extremely unlikely during flight.
Reports indicate that the man’s survival is an exceptional case. According to data from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 132 individuals, known as wheel-well stowaways, attempted to travel in the landing gear compartments of commercial aircraft between 1947 and 2021. The mortality rate for such attempts is alarmingly high, standing at 77%.
This incident follows previous cases where individuals attempting similar journeys faced tragic outcomes. The challenges posed by extreme cold, lack of oxygen, and the risk of falling from the landing gear compartment make stowaway attempts highly perilous, emphasizing the significance of aviation security measures.
