US Teenager survives five-hour flight hiding in wheel of plane

A 16-year-old boy, sitting on a stretcher centre, stowed away in the wheel well of a flight from San Jose to Maui Photo: Chris Sugidono/The Maui News/AP

A 16-year-old boy has survived a journey hidden in the wheel well of a five-hour flight from California to Hawaii. Hawaiian Airlines said airline staff noticed the boy after the plane landed yesterday morning.

He was questioned by the FBI and later given a medical screening which confirmed he was in a stable condition.


Just like the Nigerian boy, he also ran away from home and made his way to San Jose airport to get to the plane.

"Kid's lucky to be alive,'' FBI spokesman Tom Simon told the AP news agency.

The airline spokesperson also said, when the flight landed, the teenager hopped down from the wheel well and started wandering around the airport grounds. His only possession when he landed was a comb for his hair. He was very lucky to have survived he said.