Dead Stowaway found in wheel well of KLM flight from Lagos
The need for regular review and update of aviation security protocols have come to the front burner with indication of a lot of lapses following the discovery of a deceased stowaway in the wheel well of a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 777 (registered PH-BQM) on Monday which originated from Lagos, Nigeria.
An investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident about how and when the man was able to climb into the aircraft, which originated from Lagos, Nigeria.
According to a spokesperson from the Royal Dutch Marechaussee, stowaways in wheel wells of aircraft face extreme temperatures that can drop to as low as minus fifty degrees during longer flights. This makes survival virtually impossible, and hypothermia is likely to be a contributing factor in this case.
The spokesperson said, “Sometimes they survive, but most of the time it goes wrong given the sharp drop in temperature. On longer flights, temperatures can go down to minus fifty degrees, impossible to survive.”
The discovery of this deceased stowaway calls for the need to increase security measures and thorough inspections of aircraft before departure to prevent such incidents from occurring.
However, Gentechnews gathered that Airlines and aviation authorities regularly review and update their security protocols to ensure the safety and security of passengers and crew onboard their aircrafts.
