A man is in critical condition after stowing away in the landing gear of a flight from Algeria bound for Paris on Thursday.
The man, who was not carrying identification, but is understood to be in his twenties, was discovered during the routine inspection of the landing gear bay of an Air Algerie aircraft that had arrived at Paris Orly Airport from Algeria.
Man in critical condition
A source for the Paris airport told the French news agency AFP that the man was found to be suffering hypothermia after stowing away on the 2.5 flight from Oran in western Algeria.
He was subsequently taken to hospital in a critical condition. The flight had been cruising at a typical altitude of approximately 36,000 feet (FL360).
The landing gear bay of commercial aircraft is unpressurized and unheated. Ambient temperatures at such cruising altitudes can range from anything between -70°C to -30°C.
Air Algerie AH1060 Oran – Paris Orly
The scheduled flight designated AH1060 was being operated by a Boeing 737-800, registered 7T-VKQ; the narrowbody aircraft belonging to the Algerian carrier Air Algerie.
Flight data shows that the aircraft departed from Oran Ahmed Ben Bella Airport (ORN) and climbed to cruising altitude FL360. The aircraft was in the cruise for one hour before commencing its descent into Paris.
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