Indonesian Stowaway Survives Hour-Long Flight in Aircraft Wheel Well

A 21-year-old stowaway survived an hour-long flight to Jakarta in the wheel well of a Garuda Indonesia aircraft.

An Indonesian stowaway is lucky to be alive after enduring an hour-long flight from Pekanbaru to Jakarta in the wheel well of a Garuda Indonesia aircraft. The Telegraph reports Mario Stevan Ambarita, 21, was found dazed and injured on the tarmac at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) by ground crew upon landing Tuesday.

According to reports, Ambarita may have been motivated to visit the country’s capital but was unable to afford airfare. Authorities believe he spent 10 days studying the flight patterns of aircraft at Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (PKU) and researching ways to sneak onboard. On the day of his journey, authorities believe that Ambarita made it past fences surrounding PKU and climbed into the wheel well as the Indonesian flag carrier’s aircraft paused before takeoff.

The flight lasted approximately one hour with a cruising altitude of just over 32,000 feet. Authorities tell The Telegraph they found Ambarita at CGK suffering from a number of injuries, including a bleeding left ear and signs of oxygen deprivation. He received medical treatment at the airport’s clinic. It is unclear what charges the stowaway may face.

[Photo: Garuda Indonesia]