While an international dispute rages over the use of armed sky marshals on flights into the U.S., consider the potential terrorist threat from another place on the airplane, outside of the fuselage. The body of a man was found in the wheel well of a British Airways jet that landed Dec. 31 at New York's John...
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While an international dispute rages over the use of armed sky marshals on flights into the U.S., consider the potential terrorist threat from another place on the airplane, outside of the fuselage. The body of a man was found in the wheel well of a British Airways jet that landed Dec. 31 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport after a flight from London's Heathrow. Investigators believe the unfortunate stowaway, a man in his 30s, crept into the wheel well when the aircraft was at Lagos, Nigeria, Dec. 22. The week before, another dead stowaway, a man in his 20s, was found in the wheel well of an American Airlines A300 that had flown to JFK from Jamaica (see Dec. 30 entry). To be sure, these desperate young men probably have no idea of the mortal risk they run from hypoxia and hypothermia. But if a desperate emigrant can sneak into a wheel well - apparently so easily - what is to prevent a suicidal terrorist from doing the same, bringing along an altitude or time-triggered bomb? The nether recesses of a main gear wheel can be dark places. Pilots doing their usual preflight walkaround inspections tend to be more concerned with tire condition, a lack of leaks, the firm attachment of access panels and whatnot. They are not likely to look closely in the main wheel well - unless instructed to.
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