Boy flies from Calif. to Hawaii in wheel well

[LongTimeListener]

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Experts-stunned-by-local-boy-s-Hawaii-flight-in-5417730.php

A 16-year-old runaway leaves San Jose and makes the five-hour trip at altitudes up to 38,000 feet, where temperatures are -40 to -50. Experts say he would have been unconscious for most of the flight, and he was for an hour afterward on the ground. Then he woke up and hopped out on the tarmac in Maui.

Anything to avoid bag fees, I guess.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

What talk show gets first dibs on an interview?

I'm leaning towards a morning show with the possibility of Ellen.

 

[I Should Coco]

I would have liked more details on how the kid survived five hours in the wheel well.

Wouldn't he run out of oxygen, even if unconscious? Pretty sure that area is not pressurized.

Paging Doc Talk or some other expert ...

 

[LongTimeListener]

Some of the stories have said the body can go into some kind of hibernation because of the elements, and there have been other cases of people surviving with body temperatures that should have been fatal.

 

[spikechiquet]

Wheel wells aren't that big either. He must have been higher up in the plane and maybe it wasn't as cold there and was able to survive.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

He's one very lucky kid.
A few years ago, around here, the body of a kid dropped out of the wheel well of a plane flying from Charlotte to Boston.

 

[MileHigh]

I would have liked more details on how the kid survived five hours in the wheel well.

Wouldn't he run out of oxygen, even if unconscious? Pretty sure that area is not pressurized.

Paging Doc Talk or some other expert ...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/jet-stowaways-survive-cold-lack-oxygen-23413108

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

What the <i>****</i> is that like when the plane is rolling down the runway and taking off?

 

[trifectarich]

But we probably need not worry that someone who's REALLY sneaky and sinister could get access to a commercial airliner without anyone noticing.

 

[WriteThinking]

I'd like to know, honestly, what would possess anyone -- especially anyone not trying to be "REALLY sneaky and sinister" -- to even think about doing this?

What about falling out from 30,000 feet? What about being blown off/out from winds? What about even being able to hang on? What about the lack of oxygen and pressure? What about depressurization? What about turbulence?

Really, sometimes, people are truly idiots.

 

[wicked]

What the <i>****</i> is that like when the plane is rolling down the runway and taking off?

He should've worn a GoPro.

 

[Bubbler]

I'd like to know, honestly, what would possess anyone -- especially anyone not trying to be "REALLY sneaky and sinister" -- to even think about doing this?

What about falling out from 30,000 feet? What about being blown off/out from winds? What about even being able to hang on? What about the lack of oxygen and pressure? What about depressurization? What about turbulence?

Really, sometimes, people are truly idiots.

Eddie would go.

 

[jr/shotglass]

What talk show gets first dibs on an interview?

I'm leaning towards a morning show with the possibility of Ellen.

What would a host say to him? "Congratulations on being an idiot"?

 

[LongTimeListener]

Follow-up articles say his plan was to hop a plane back to family in Africa. Not a particularly well-thought-out plan since:

1) The plane said Hawaiian Airlines in nice big letters right there on the side.

2) I don't think there is a flight to anywhere in Africa from that airport.

 

[Armchair_QB]

I'd like to know, honestly, what would possess anyone -- especially anyone not trying to be "REALLY sneaky and sinister" -- to even think about doing this?

What about falling out from 30,000 feet? What about being blown off/out from winds? What about even being able to hang on? What about the lack of oxygen and pressure? What about depressurization? What about turbulence?

Really, sometimes, people are truly idiots.

I'd think that once the landing gear was retracted, the chances of falling from that altitude would be pretty slim, but once they open the doors and lower the gear again, yeah, I don't see how you wouldn't fall if you weren't conscious.

I'm surprised there would be enough room to fit in one of those wells once the wheels are retracted too.

 

[YankeeFan]

Follow-up articles say his plan was to hop a plane back to family in Africa. Not a particularly well-thought-out plan since:

1) The plane said Hawaiian Airlines in nice big letters right there on the side.

2) I don't think there is a flight to anywhere in Africa from that airport.

The boy, a student at Santa Clara High School...

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Hawaii-bound-teen-stowaway-likely-saved-by-5422612.php

 

[LongTimeListener]

I'm not following you.

 

[jackfinarelli]

If his choice was (A) a wheel-well on Hawaiian Airlines versus (B) a flight on Southwest, the kid probably flipped a coin with regard to which would be the higher-quality transportation experience...

 

[WriteThinking]

I've read and heard that the kid wouldn't be charged with anything. How can that be?

With all the rules and laws that juveniles (and adults) can break, there's nothing that would or should apply in a case like this?

Not even trespassing, or reckless endangerment, or some kind of grievous mischief? Seem really odd, and a little too easy to me...

 

[Iron_chet]

I've read and heard that the kid wouldn't be charged with anything. How can that be?

With all the rules and laws that juveniles (and adults) can break, there's nothing that would or should apply in a case like this?

Not even trespassing, or reckless endangerment, or some kind of grievous mischief? Seem really odd, and a little too easy to me...

They probably don't want how he breached security to become known in open court.