A man, believed to be in his twenties, is currently battling for his life in a hospital due to severe hypothermia. This life-threatening condition was a result of his perilous journey hidden in the landing gear of a plane. The plane, which was operated by Air Algerie, had taken off from Oran Ahmed Ben Bella Airport in Algeria and landed at Paris Orly Airport in France.
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The man's harrowing ordeal began when he concealed himself in the landing gear of the Boeing 737. The flight from Algeria to France lasted approximately two hours, during which the man was exposed to extreme conditions in the unpressurized and unheated landing gear compartment of the aircraft. Upon landing at Paris Orly Airport on December 28, 2023, at around 10:15 am local time, the man was discovered during routine maintenance checks conducted between 10:30 and 11:00 am. The maintenance crew immediately alerted the air transport police and emergency services, who rushed to the scene.
The emergency services provided immediate life-saving treatment at the scene. The man, who was found without any identification, was then rushed to a nearby hospital. Despite being alive when discovered, his condition was described as critical due to the severe hypothermia he had suffered. FlightRadar24, a global flight tracking service, provided data showing that the Air Algerie Boeing 737 had reached an altitude of 36,000 feet during the flight. At such altitudes, outside temperatures can drop as low as -50 degrees Celsius. These are extremely harsh conditions for any living being to endure, let alone a human without any protective gear.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the body responsible for regulating all aspects of civil aviation in the United States, states that a staggering 77% of individuals who attempt to travel by hiding in a plane's landing gear end up losing their lives. This tragic statistic underscores the extreme risks associated with such desperate attempts to travel undetected. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the lengths to which some individuals will go in their quest for a better life, often putting their lives at risk in the process. It also highlights the need for increased vigilance and security measures at airports worldwide to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.