When two Indian brothers hid in a plane’s landing gear to reach the UK; one survived the 4000 mile journey at 40,000 ft in -60°C

A shocking incident in Afghanistan recently reminded the world of the extreme risks people take to escape danger. On Sunday, a 13-year-old boy from Afghanistan was discovered at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after managing to hide inside the landing gear compartment of a KAM Airlines flight from Kabul. The flight, numbered RQ-4401, had been airborne for around two hours when the boy was found. He later admitted that he sneaked into the airport in Kabul and hid in the rear central landing gear out of curiosity.

While alarming, such incidents are not entirely unprecedented. Over the decades, there have been several tragic and near-miraculous cases of people attempting to travel across borders by concealing themselves in aircraft landing gear compartments. According to the US Federal Aviation Administration, between 1947 and 2015, 113 stowaway attempts were documented, resulting in 86 deaths. Most fatalities occur due to falls, being crushed during takeoff or landing, or succumbing to extreme cold and lack of oxygen at high altitudes.

The story of two Indian brothers

One of the most notorious cases took place in October 1996, involving two Indian brothers, Pardeep and Vijay Saini. Hailing from Punjab, the brothers, accused of being members of a Sikh separatist group, attempted to flee India by hiding in the wheel bay of a British Airways Boeing 747 bound for London Heathrow. While 22-year-old Pardeep survived the 10-hour flight, 18-year-old Vijay tragically did not, falling from the undercarriage as the plane prepared to land. Pardeep endured temperatures as low as -60°C and extreme oxygen deprivation at 40,000 feet but survived, reportedly entering a state of suspended animation, similar to hibernation, during the flight.

After being discovered by airline staff in a disoriented state, Pardeep was initially taken to a detention center but was later released.

“I was in a depression for six years. If the two of us died, then it’s one thing, or if both of us lived, it’s another story. But I lost my younger brother. He was like a friend to me. We grew up playing together,” Pardeep later told The Mail in 2019.

As per the report, Pradeep (40) lives in London with his family and works at Heathrow Airport