Afghan boy lands in Delhi hidden in plane's landing gear, how did he survive?

In an extraordinary security breach, a 13-year-old Afghan boy managed to reach Delhi from Kabul by hiding inside the landing gear compartment of a commercial aircraft operated by KAM Air. The boy, reportedly driven by "curiosity", was discovered at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Sunday morning, according to official sources.

The incident occurred at around 11.00 am when KAM Air flight number RQ-4401 touched down in Delhi following a two-hour flight from the Afghan capital. Soon after landing, airline staff noticed the teenager roaming near the aircraft and alerted airport security.

The boy, identified as a resident of Kunduz city, was apprehended by KAM Air personnel and handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). He was then taken to Terminal 3 for questioning.

“He told the officials that he sneaked into the Kabul airport and somehow managed to get inside the rear central landing gear compartment of the said aircraft. He said he did this out of curiosity,” an official source stated.

Following preliminary questioning and identity verification, the teenager was repatriated to Afghanistan on the same KAM Air flight, which departed Delhi at around 12.30 pm.

A thorough inspection of the aircraft was conducted after the discovery. Airline security personnel found a small red-coloured speaker, believed to belong to the boy, inside the landing gear bay. Security agencies subsequently carried out anti-sabotage checks before the aircraft was cleared for departure and declared safe.

The incident has raised serious concerns about security lapses, particularly at Kabul airport. It remains unclear how the boy managed to gain access to the airside and reach such a dangerous and restricted part of the aircraft unnoticed.

Hiding inside the landing gear compartment of a commercial jet is extremely dangerous — and usually fatal. The compartment, which houses the wheels and struts used for take-off and landing, is unpressurised and unheated. At cruising altitudes, temperatures can drop to minus 50ºC, and oxygen levels fall drastically.

While rare, similar incidents have occurred in the past — most of them ending tragically. In such cases, stowaways are at high risk of hypothermia, hypoxia (lack of oxygen), and crushing injuries when the gear retracts. The survival rate is extremely low, especially on long-haul international flights.

Aviation safety standards hint that this boy’s survival is likely due to the relatively short duration and lower altitude of the Kabul–Delhi route, which may not have subjected him to the full effects of extreme conditions. Nonetheless, his actions could easily have ended in fatality.

Authorities in both countries are now expected to review protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.