13-year-old from Kunduz sneaks into Kam Air plane out of ‘curiosity’, flown back the same day
TNR News Network
In an astonishing security breach and a dangerous act of curiosity, a 13-year-old boy from Afghanistan made it all the way to Delhi by hiding inside the landing gear compartment of a Kam Air flight that took off from Kabul. The incident came to light after the aircraft touched down at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) around 11.10 am.
The authorities confirmed that the boy, who belongs to Kunduz city, managed to infiltrate the Kabul airport and crawl into the aircraft’s rear wheel well — a narrow, unpressurised and oxygen-starved space intended for aircraft machinery, not human travel.
Spotted after landing
After flight RQ-4401 landed in Delhi, ground crew and airline officials were shocked to find the boy wandering near the aircraft on the taxiway. He was quickly intercepted and handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), who took him to Terminal 3 for questioning.
The teenager reportedly told officials that he acted out of curiosity and wanted to see where the plane would take him. Officials say he showed no signs of serious injury or trauma, which is unusual for such high-altitude travel attempts, where extreme cold and low oxygen levels often prove fatal.
Sent back after questioning
Following a round of questioning, during which the boy gave a detailed account of how he bypassed airport security in Kabul and climbed into the aircraft’s landing gear area, he was repatriated to Afghanistan on the same day aboard a return Kam Air flight that left around 12.30 pm.
Airport security teams conducted a thorough inspection of the aircraft and its undercarriage. A red portable speaker, believed to have belonged to the boy, was recovered from the compartment. Anti-sabotage checks cleared the aircraft for further operations.
Wheel-well stowaways: A deadly gamble
While rare, such “wheel-well stowaway” incidents have occurred across the world. Experts point out that temperatures at cruising altitudes can drop below -50°C and oxygen levels are dangerously low. Survival in such conditions is extremely rare.
Though the Afghan boy’s journey lasted only about 1.5 to 2 hours, aviation experts warn that such attempts are not only life-threatening but also expose serious lapses in airport perimeter security.
This incident echoes past stowaway cases. In early 2024, two men were found dead in the landing gear of a JetBlue aircraft arriving in Florida. A year earlier, an Algerian youth nearly died after flying hidden in the undercarriage of a plane bound for Paris. In 2021, a Guatemalan man miraculously survived a flight to Miami in a similar attempt.
Authorities in both India and Afghanistan are now expected to review security protocols after this alarming breach, especially considering the potential risk to both human life and aircraft safety.
