Body found in United Airlines 747 wheel well

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Apparently a "terse" writer
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Body found at SFO in United plane's wheel well
By Mark Gomez
Mercury News
Article Launched: 07/19/2007 10:25:27 AM PDT

A body was discovered inside the wheel well of a United Airlines Boeing 747 that landed this morning at San Francisco International Airport, according to airport spokesman Mike McCarron.

Mechanics found what appears to be a man's body inside the wheel well of the nose gear during a post-flight inspection of United Flight 858, which arrived this morning from Shanghai around 8 a.m., McCarron said.

The San Mateo County Coroner's Office is investigating the cause of death.
According to the airport's Web site, the plane was scheduled to depart for Los Angeles at 10:45 a.m.

In January, a stowaway was found dead in the wheel well of a British Airways jet that landed at Los Angeles International Airport. In 2001, the body of a 19-year-old native of Zaire was found inside the wheel well of a US Airways Flight from London to San Francisco.
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Which reminds me why I do thorough walkarounds paying special attention to the wheel wells when I'm relief pilot that day:

Delta: Body found in airplane's wheel well
POSTED: 4:43 p.m. EST, January 12, 2007

ATLANTA (AP) -- A body was found in an airplane wheel well after a Delta Air Lines flight from Africa landed in Atlanta on Friday morning, airline spokeswoman Betsy Talton said.

The flight had left Dakar, Senegal, more than nine hours earlier. It landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Airline officials said the man was not carrying any identification.

No additional details were available pending an investigation by federal and local law enforcement.
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Not much of anything bigger than a dog or cat could fit in our wheel wells. :D

That said, walk-arounds = good. I'm firm believer. I do the post/pre-flight regardless of whether the other crew is there. It's a peace of mind thing for me.
 
Do ppl actually think they can get someplace doing that, or do they just want to have an interesting means of killing themselves?
 
Makes me wonder if they even they even know where it is they are going. Probably figure any place is better than where they're at.:confused:
 
Actually, there is a documented case of a guy doing it and living.. :)

Not sure from where.. want to say Cuba to Canada..
 
I will never understand why.

How did they get there in the 1st place? They work the the airline I suppose and someone who works for an airline sure could get a ticket without much hassle!
 
taseal said:
I will never understand why.

How did they get there in the 1st place? They work the the airline I suppose and someone who works for an airline sure could get a ticket without much hassle!
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My bet is they dont work for the airline and are at there most desperate times and want to escape to wherever, at any costs. Unfortunately, they usually pay the biggest cost, their life...

:(
 
Bigey said:
My bet is they dont work for the airline and are at there most desperate times and want to escape to wherever, at any costs. Unfortunately, they usually pay the biggest cost, their life...

:(
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well if they're making it into the wheel well to put their bodies in it (and not authorized to be at the ramp), I would have to say something is not right about our security as far as that goes.

I thought it was kind of hard to get into the ramp area
 
taseal said:
How did they get there in the 1st place? They work the the airline I suppose and someone who works for an airline sure could get a ticket without much hassle!
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Even in the US, perimeter security isn't that good. The TSA would probably have you believe otherwise, but there is a lot of stuff that gets through. With the exception of Israel, I would bet it is even worse in other parts of the world.

Was it in The Fifth Element where they use flame throwers to clean the bugs off the landing gear?
 
BobDDuck said:
Even in the US, perimeter security isn't that good. The TSA would probably have you believe otherwise, but there is a lot of stuff that gets through. With the exception of Israel, I would bet it is even worse in other parts of the world.
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It's funny you say that. All that hype when going through the checkpoint at the airport, yet some joe schmoe can find his way next to and INTO an airplane... Seriously shocks me.
 
Yep, but Grandma Betty sees that the DOH is in fact trying to stop the terrorists from winning, so it is ok.
 
Of course this isn't the first time this happened. Don't they have news on tv or radio in other countries saying this is a bad idea? What goes through these peoples mind, "Well, I haven't heard from Pong in a long time, My guess is he made it just fine! Me next.."
 
MikeBurbank said:
stupid question:

Do they get smooshed or have oxygen issues?
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If they're lucky enough to escape being smooshed (and it is possible, albeit unlikely, to avoid the gear), then they usually succumb to hypoxia. Also, it's COLD up there! Freezing in an issue too.

In general, it's best to ride inside the plane.
 
sigpilot said:
Of course this isn't the first time this happened. Don't they have news on tv or radio in other countries saying this is a bad idea? What goes through these peoples mind, "Well, I haven't heard from Pong in a long time, My guess is he made it just fine! Me next.."
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Trivia: what colgan captain always used to instruct his FOs to inspect the wheel wells of the saab for hidden mexicans, after we acquired a plane or two from Aero-Littoral?
 
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