A man hid inside the wheel well of an American Airlines flight from Guatemala to Miami for nearly 3 hours. He was found by the authorities unharmed after landing at Miami International Airport on Saturday, November 27. The man, aged 26, was detained by US Customs and Border Patrol and sent to a local hospital for treatment, according to Miami Herald. The motive behind the man's actions is not clear at the moment. The incident is being investigated.
The video obtained by Twitter handle 'Only in Dade' shows airlines employees helping the man on his feet and offering him some water. The tiny mechanical compartment the man used to hide can be seen in the video. The US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) said in a statement regarding the incident that people are taking a huge risk to hide in confined spaces such as an aircraft. Miami Dade police will be assisting CBP in the investigation.
The man was in the air for roughly 2 hours and 50 minutes
Miami-Dade Aviation Department Communications Director Greg Chin told The Herald that the man was in the air for roughly 2 hours and 50 minutes while stowing away in the wheel well of an American Airlines international flight 1182 from Guatemala City to Miami. Chin further noted that the airport and other flights were not affected by the incident. The identity of the man was not clear at the moment.
Investigation
American Airlines said in a statement that the said flight that arrived at 10:06 am local time was met by 'law enforcement due to a security issue'. "We are working with law enforcement in their investigation," the statement further added. The unnamed maintenance worker who recorded the video refused to speak further about the incident over fears of losing his job.
The incident mirrored the horrific situation in Afghanistan back in August when the US military was evacuating the country and hoards of civilians stuck to numerous planes' landing gears to get our the country only to fall to their deaths from heights of thousands of feet.
