08. 06. 10. - 14:00

Stowaway 'frozen stiff' after Vienna - London flight

A Romanian survived a flight from Vienna to London – by clinging on to the plane’s landing gear, according to reports.

Newspapers report today (Tues) that the 20-year-old man "dropped frozen stiff from the fixed landing gear" of the United Arab Emirates State fleet aircraft after its landing at London-Heathrow on Sunday.

The jumbo jet landed at Vienna International Airport (VIA) last Thursday before taking off for the British capital Sunday evening.

Reports say the stowaway survived only because the empty jet had to fly at lower altitude than planned due to thunderstorms en route.

Vienna police declined to comment on the reports, while British officials are set to quiz the man – who is recovering at a London clinic after suffering serious hypothermia from the flight – about when and why he climbed onto the plane’s landing gear.

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• Daniel wrote on 09. 06. 2010 from Bucharest

  I am a Romanian and I guess he can be one of those Gypsies that make us the Europe`s shame... But I barely believe this story. Romanians are free to travel all over Europe, there is no need to hide. Anyway, how can someone can go into an airport without anyone seen him? There is a looot of security. Even so, this man is blind! Or maybe he pretend so?

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  • x wrote on 09. 06. 2010 from y

    * desperation? Excuse me? What could be so nasty in Vienna to drive one to desperation to find "salvation" in London? I learnt the hard way to stop searching for hidden motives when the actions are easily attributed to plain stupidity. Stress, bad food and bad health (which are a global problem now) can make one act stupidly. There is no "smart" reason in risking one's life for a publicity stunt, even when big money is involved (the money that governments will claim they need for security against one in 20 million crazy Romanians).

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• nevermind wrote on 09. 06. 2010 from out of Romania for some time now

  * dude, "blind passenger" means stowaway ( see www.economypoint.org/b/blind-passenger.html ), doesn't mean that the guy cannot see. ("pasager clandestin"/"pe blat"/"pe șest") * 15+ years ago, in Romania, I've seen crazy idiots ride on trams on the outside (even though they could easily get away with not paying the fare) * If this is true (which I doubt, since many movies have depicted the cold that reigns at flight altitude, so anyone should know better), then that guy is totally crazy. * no excuse for lack of money either, one can chaply use a bus (or stow away in a train). Again, if you have no money, it doesn't make sense to go in one of the most €xp€n$ive countries in the world. * security in most airports is a joke. Airports (and many other non-military facilities) are only "secure" against honest people who have something to lose. They're also lucky against some idiots, but not all. And don't get me started on luggage security (in addition to the mishandling of a huge percentage of them and the scratching/breaking of 95% of them). * desperation? Excuse me? What could be so nasty in Vienna to drive one to desperation to find "salvation" in London? I learnt the hard way to stop searching for hidden motives when the actions are easily attributed to plain stupidity. Stress, bad food and bad health (which are a global problem now) can make one act stupidly. There is no "smart" reason in risking one's life for a publicity stunt, even when big money is involved (the money that governments will claim they need for security against one in 20 million crazy Romanians).

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• Gabi wrote on 09. 06. 2010 from Bucharest

  This is not logical. Why a Romanian should go to London as a blind passenger? Citizens from this country can travel without restriction to UK and all other EU countries. Or the information is wrong or the guy is mentally sick. On the other hand, how could he cheat the airport security? Consider that instead this guy, it was a suicide terrorist with a bomb.

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• Emanuel wrote on 08. 06. 2010 from Stockholm

  Oh Lord, do not know if should laugh or pity the character, reading such a story. Feat not likely to be approved by Guinness World Records but it's unlikely that he also watched a performance.Is sad that there are situations so desperate that some people resort to such solutions.

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