Teen Survives Flight to Hawaii in Jet's Wheel Well

Without intimate knowledge of the 767 I can't be 100% certain, but highly unlikely. Again, any "pressurization" sealing of the gear is not a desired outcome. The only reason the gear doors are there is for "aerodynamic" sealing which is for the surface of the aircraft. The CRJ 200 has gear doors, but on the tire/wheel portion of the gear the bay is sealed by brushes whose purpose is aerodynamically sealing.

It's not going to happen. They don't seal well enough, since that isn't the intent, that "~1000 ft" air will remain in there. In fact, if that were the case, that area would be hugely over pressured especially up in the 30s.
 
This may explain it

"The stable climb of the aircraft enabled hypoxia to lead to gradual unconsciousness. As the wheel-well environment slowly cooled, hypothermia accompanies the deep hypoxia, preserving nervous system viability. With descent, and warming, along with increasing atmospheric oxygen pressure, hypoxia and hypothermia slowly resolved. At the ramp, with individuals were found in a semi-conscious state, and, upon treatment, recovered.

http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/aeromedical/aircraftaccident/wheelwell/
 
As someone with an intimate knowledge of the 767, no, the WW is not pressurized, nor do the doors seal well enough to maintain any ambient pressure when the doors close. As far as hypothermia, the bleed air cross duct and packs are in that area, that could keep the temperature a bit higher than SAT. Hypoxia, your guess is as good as mine.
One thing, that kid is extremely lucky that he didn't get crushed or cut in half when the gear retracted, or fall out when lowered if he was unconcious. There is not a whole lot of room in there.
 
Let's get CNN's Martin Savidge on this. Mock up a simulated B767 nosegear wheelwell, stuff Savidge inside, chill it to -50F, raise the PA to 38,000, and open it five hours later. It would be like a combination of "Survivor" and Geraldo Rivera's opening of Al Capone's vault.

Pay-Per-View. I'd pay to see it.
 
I hope that someone is taking a pretty serious look at the security cameras and procedures that allowed him to "board" the plane undetected. That's downright embarrasing.
 
Pretty amazing that he survived, someone get this kid trained for Everest. I drive by SJC everyday on my way to work and I could see easily how someone could hop the fence down near the FedEx loading area at the north end of the field.
 
jgheggie said:
"
On a side note, TSA is a joke! They are worried about making you dump out your water bottle but a 16 year old can do this? What's to stop a terrorist from just jumping a fence and planting a bomb?
Click to expand...

TSA is just one layer. It's disingenuous to fault or bash TSA for someone jumping an airport fence, as TSA isn't responsible for the perimeter security of airports. Sure TSA has its issues, but lets keep it in a realistic perspective here.
 
MikeD said:
TSA is just one layer. It's disingenuous to fault or bash TSA for someone jumping an airport fence, as TSA isn't responsible for the perimeter security of airports. Sure TSA has its issues, but lets keep it in a realistic perspective here.
Click to expand...
You're right.

I guess I should aim my frustration at whoever oversees the entire security of the airport. It just seems like TSA gets the most funding and is the focus of airport security. The priorities seem to get tangled up and something's get left out. So the result is a really strict TSA that searches grandmas purse and dumps your coffee out, and a more relaxed perimeter security.

I don't know who's fault it is, or who has the power to really change these security measures. However, it is alarming that an "innocent" 16 year old can hop a fence at a rather large airport and gain access to an aircraft.

I always thought it was weird that flight crews go through security, but when I worked the ramp I just went through a side door below the terminal and straight to the ramp. I've been in the cargo bins, cabin, and even fueled aircraft all without ever going through security. I do not mean to criticize TSA, however, the whole system in general has major flaws. God forbid anything like 9/11 ever happen again.
 
jgheggie said:
You're right.

I guess I should aim my frustration at whoever oversees the entire security of the airport. It just seems like TSA gets the most funding and is the focus of airport security. The priorities seem to get tangled up and something's get left out. So the result is a really strict TSA that searches grandmas purse and dumps your coffee out, and a more relaxed perimeter security.

I don't know who's fault it is, or who has the power to really change these security measures. However, it is alarming that an "innocent" 16 year old can hop a fence at a rather large airport and gain access to an aircraft.

I always thought it was weird that flight crews go through security, but when I worked the ramp I just went through a side door below the terminal and straight to the ramp. I've been in the cargo bins, cabin, and even fueled aircraft all without ever going through security. I do not mean to criticize TSA, however, the whole system in general has major flaws. God forbid anything like 9/11 ever happen again.
Click to expand...

Physical security of the airport is normally the airport authority or the local or county government, depending on who "owns" it. They are who you will generally see as the airport police, as well as patrolling on the flightline as well as on the perimeter. TSA serves the inner-layer, so to speak, regarding persons on the airplanes as well as baggage.

Don't get me wrong, TSA has it's issues and needs for improvement; however I can't fault them or go on a rant against them, for things that are not their responsibility or under their oversight.

Physical security for airports will always be a challenge and never be completely secure. From someone with a mortar a few hundred yards from the airport fence and hidden in an industrial area, lobbing shells onto the ramp/taxiways/runways; all the way to dedicated terrorists with shoulder-launched SAMs hanging out on mountaintops 20 miles from the airport and shooting down planes on arrival descent, then disappearing when all emergency services respond to the plane crash site; there's only so much than can be done for physical airport security.
 
Last edited:
The boy could face permanent brain damage from the experience -- in fact, it's "more likely than not," Stahl said. He could face neurological issues, memory problems or a lower IQ.

Yea, because he was a real rocket scientist when he climbed into the wheel well.
 
MikeD said:
Physical security of the airport is normally the airport or the local or county government, depending on who "owns" it. They are who you will generally see as the airport police, as well as patrolling on the flightline as well as on the perimeter. TSA serves the inner-layer, so to speak, regarding persons on the airplanes as well as baggage.

Don't get me wrong, TSA has it's issues and needs for improvement; however I can't fault them or go on a rant against them, for things that are not their responsibility or under their oversight.

Physical security for airports will always be a challenge and never be completely secure. From someone with a mortar a few hundred yards from the airport fence and hidden in an industrial area, lobbing shells onto the ramp/taxiways/runways; all the way to dedicated terrorists with shoulder-launched SAMs hanging out on mountaintops 20 miles from the airport and shooting down planes on arrival descent, then disappearing when all emergency services respond to the plane crash site; there's only so much than can be done for physical airport security.
Click to expand...

Flare dispensers for everyone!
 
NewYorkophile said:
Flare dispensers for everyone!
Click to expand...

There's been talk of those before. But the first airliner departing LAX or PHX who crosses over the rental car parking lot or open-area pax parking, and gets the right sun reflections from all the car windows, setting off the auto-dispense mode and flares bouncing off the ground; will be the end of that program. :D
 
We managed to not burn down any villages in Iraq, I'm satisfied...regardless of the altitude we may or may not have dispensed at.
 
NewYorkophile said:
We managed to not burn down any villages in Iraq, I'm satisfied...regardless of the altitude we may or may not have dispensed at.
Click to expand...

During dispensings that did or did not occur. :)

Also, the Iraqis didn't matter. When compared to flares bouncing off of Kim Kardashians H2 Humvee; then it will be a major tragedy. :)
 
Last edited:
I remember reading some other case in recent years where the stowaway survived a trip in the wheel well. According to Wikipedia:

"Stowaways who survived usually traveled relatively short distances or at a low altitude.[2] Two cases are known of people who survived at an altitude of about 38,000 feet (12,000 m) - a man on an 8 hour flight, whose body core temperature fell to 79 °F (26 °C)[3], and a 16-year-old boy who was unharmed by a 5.5 hour flight, despite losing consciousness... From 1947 until September 2012, there were 96 known stowaway attempts worldwide in wheel wells of 85 separate flights, which resulted in 73 deaths with only 23 survivors."
 
Radu38J said:
I remember reading some other case in recent years where the stowaway survived a trip in the wheel well. According to Wikipedia:

"Stowaways who survived usually traveled relatively short distances or at a low altitude.[2] Two cases are known of people who survived at an altitude of about 38,000 feet (12,000 m) - a man on an 8 hour flight, whose body core temperature fell to 79 °F (26 °C)[3], and a 16-year-old boy who was unharmed by a 5.5 hour flight, despite losing consciousness... From 1947 until September 2012, there were 96 known stowaway attempts worldwide in wheel wells of 85 separate flights, which resulted in 73 deaths with only 23 survivors."
Click to expand...

So if you're going to be a stowaway, do it on a boat.
 
Apparently 25 of 105 who have stowed themselves in wheel wells have actually survived. Some doc on the news says his body likely went into a hibernation type of sleep.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top