Tragedy or Comedy?

[Politically Incorrect]

I'll let you decide.

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story. ... tm&sc=1110

How in the world does something as bizzare as this happen?

[Hagar]

This is not uncommon. The most tragic case I can remember was 2 young kids. They found one on the ground somewhere on the approach to Heathrow. His brother (they thought it was his brother) was still in the gear bay - frozen to death of course. They would probably have suffocated anyway. There was talk of their parents actually paying some heartless criminal to help get them away from wherever or whatever. All I can say is that they must be desperate to try it.

[Politically Incorrect]

Happy New Year, Hagar!!
Do you mean that these people might have been "stowaways"?
I can't see how common sense doesn't take over and you realize that chances of survial to be any good.
Not to mention with airport security the way it is now a days why didn't anyone notice, or is it possible that the plane ran over them during landing or take-off?
It just boggles my mind!!

[Hagar]

Happy New Year my friend.

[quote]Do you mean that these people might have been "stowaways"?

[Hagar]

I was confusing 2 different cases. Airport security is not as tight in some countries. In some instances airline employees have been suspected of encouraging if not organising this evil & heartless trade. At least it would be a relatively quick death. Many other refugees starve or suffocate in containers while in transit.

Stowaway boys arrive dead at Heathrow - Sarah Hall : Two Ghanaian boys aged 12 and 14 have been found dead in the undercarriage well of an aeroplane at Heathrow airport, apparently having tried to smuggle their way into Britain.

The two were found by a ground engineer huddled together in the wheel compartment of a Ghana Airways DC-10. They had light clothing and no baggage.

They may have sneaked into the plane's underbelly as it taxied down the runway at Accra, the Ghanaian capital. They appear to have been killed by lack of oxygen and sub-zero temperatures.

Yesterday, detectives, working with Ghanaian police, sought to identify them and to find whether they had hoped to meet family or friends.

"We don't know whether they were trying to seek asylum, whether they hoped to visit family over here, or if it was a prank that went wrong," said a Scotland Yard spokesman.

From time to time migrants tuck themselves into the undercarriage well of a jet for Britain, but those who escape being crushed when the wheels retract often die of hypothermia in temperatures of minus 40 C as the plane cruises at 30,000ft.

"It's horrific. Every year, we have between six or 10 cases of people dying as they try to make their way here.

"But we have never before seen stowaways as young as this," the spokesman added.

They were discovered on Saturday evening at Heathrow when groundcrew spotted a body through the gap into which the wheels retract.

Heathrow - the world's busiest international passenger airport - has seen similar tragedies.

In April, a man, believed of African origin, was found in an undercarriage well.

Two years ago, two Cuban asylum seekers froze to death on a flight from Havana to Gatwick.

The body of the first fell to earth when the wheels were lowered for landing, the body of the second remained lodged in the undercarriage well until the plane took off the following day.

http://www.najaco.com/aviation/news/2002/december/6.htm

[Craig.]

sadly the people involved knew the outcome, it happens all to often, so things must have been desperate for them to try it.
Its even sadder because they were only kids and its a horrible way to go