kid survives 5.5 hours in wheel well at 38K feet

A 16 year old boy survives 5.5 hours in wheel well at 38K feet (from San Jose to Honolulu). Of course, he was unconscious most of the trip. But he hopped out when the plane landed and was walking around.




At 18,000ft hypoxia seta in, causing weakness, tremors, light-headedness and visual impairment. By 22,000ft the stowaway will struggle to maintain consciousness as their blood oxygen level drops. Above 33,000ft the lungs require artificial pressure to function normally. At the same time, hypothermia is likely to be brought on, with temperatures dropping as low as -81F. Normal problems when hiding in wheel well (which has now been tried by over 100 people).

• Being crushed when landing gear retracts
• Falling when compartment doors reopen
• Hypothermia
• Frostbite
• Hearing loss
• Tinnitus
• Hypoxia (whole or part of body deprived of adequate oxygen supply)
• Acidosis - build-up of acid in body fluids which can cause coma or death

He was probably so cold he didn't need much oxygen. Reperfusion was a dangerous phase for him and he went thru that unmonitored as the plane descended and he warmed and resumed breathing. Hypoxia is bad enough but hypoxemia is dangerous.

Quote: link

some experts questioning his story.

"The odds of a person surviving that long of a flight at that altitude are very remote, actually," airline analyst Peter Forman told CNN affiliate KHON. "I mean, you are talking about altitudes that are well above the altitude of Mt. Everest. And temperatures that can reach 40 degrees below zero.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/21/us/hawaii-plane-stowaway/

The BBC reports roughly 100 times that this has happened since the 1940's. In 3/4 of the cases the unconscious individual fell out when the wheels came down and fell to the ground. Cause of death is not always determined.

There was a case last August of 14 year who survived 35 minutes at altitudes over 25K'. But this claim is for 5.5 hours at 39K'.

I suppose he could have bought a plane ticket or stowed away somewhere else. While it is difficult to stowaway on a jet, it is a more believable story.

CNN says there is video of him jumping the fence and wandering around the San Jose airport tarmac.

But nobody saw him?

Why bother regular passengers with the TSA checkpoint when a suicide bomber could get access just like this kid did?

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Why bother regular passengers with the TSA checkpoint when a suicide bomber could get access just like this kid did?

Well a lot of politicians are asking this question already. Theoretically, he didn't even have to be a suicide bomber, as he could have just placed a package in the wheel well.