Stowaway

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A stowaway on a tram in Astrakhan, Russia Astrakhan trams, 1041 stowaway.jpg
A stowaway on a tram in Astrakhan, Russia
A shipping container in which 22 stowaways were found in the Port of Seattle Chinasmuggle lg.jpg
A shipping container in which 22 stowaways were found in the Port of Seattle

A stowaway or clandestine traveller is a person who secretly boards a vehicle, such as a ship, an aircraft, a train, cargo truck or bus. [1]

Contents

Sometimes, the purpose is to get from one place to another without paying for transportation. In other cases, the goal is to enter another country without first obtaining a travel visa or other permission. Stowaways differ from people smuggling in that the stowaway needs to avoid detection by the truck driver, ship crew, and others responsible for the safe and secure operation of the transportation service.

Thousands of stowaways have travelled by sea or land over the last several centuries. A much smaller number of people have attempted to stowaway on aircraft. Many stowaways have died during the attempt, especially in cases of train surfing and wheel-well stowaway flights.

Origin

The word takes its origin with the expression stow away. This stow away expression is old and was used for things (such as food), such usage is seen for instance in the 1689 book A New Voyage Round the World, Volume 1 or 1637 Journals of the House of Lords, Volume 11.

The word was also used (later) for people. This gave names such as stow-aways, when the correct current name in modern English language is stowaway. Depending on the circumstances, people were stowed away in order to hide themselves, or to be transported as slaves. The concept of people hiding is not so recent; it was yet forbidden (and so known) in 1748 by king of Spain, under the polizón denomination.

In the United States

The US legislation set up a stowaway concept in 1850. Previously, entry into the territory was free [2] and the stowaway word might be older.

In 1891, the new US legislation required the boat to pay the return travel for people not admitted in US, even if stowaways were still admitted. [2]

474 stowaways arrived in US in fiscal year 1910, [2] and 528 next year.

In 1917, a new legislation defined a list of excludable aliens, including stowaways. [2]

Several stowaways arrived in United States by boat during the first half of twentieth century; they were paying for 25 to 30 dollars to travel. [3]

From 1843

The Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic, 1965, as amended, (The FAL Convention), define stowaway as

"A person who is secreted on a ship, or in cargo which is subsequently loaded on the ship, without the consent of the shipowner or the master or any other responsible person and who is detected on board the ship after it has departed from a port, or in the cargo while unloading it in the port of arrival, and is reported as a stowaway by the master to the appropriate authorities".

Unnoticed by the captain, crew, port officials and customs authorities, stowaways may gain access to a ship with or without the assistance of port personnel. Once on board the ship, stowaways hide in empty containers, cargo holds, tanks, tunnels, behind false panels, stores, accommodation areas, engine rooms, void spaces, cranes and chain lockers.

The presence of stowaways on board ships may bring serious consequences for ships and, by extension, to the shipping industry as a whole; the ship could be delayed in port; the repatriation of stowaways can be a very complex and costly procedure involving masters, shipowners, port authorities and agents, and the life of stowaways could be endangered as they may spend several days hidden, with the risk of suffocation and without any food or water. [4]

By transport mode

Rail transportation

Some undocumented migrants travel around Europe in trucks and trains without being detected. A number of them try to get to other European countries, such as France and the United Kingdom. [5]

Land travel

Stowaways sometimes hide themselves in vehicles such as cargo trucks to get between cities. Although this is also done by migrants who have paid the driver, it is also done by individuals hiding from the driver. In some places, drivers are legally responsible for making sure that stowaways do not board their vehicles, and can be fined or jailed if they do not detect and remove a stowaway when crossing national borders. [6]

A Finnish stowaway caught illegally entering the United States, photographed on Ellis Island, 1926. Original caption: The desire to come to America must have been very strong for this young man to face all sorts of uncertainties. Hine Finnish Stowaway Ellis Island 1926.jpg
A Finnish stowaway caught illegally entering the United States, photographed on Ellis Island, 1926.
Original caption: The desire to come to America must have been very strong for this young man to face all sorts of uncertainties.

Ship travel

Stowaways on sailing ships and on steamships made this way of illicit travel known throughout the world. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries poor, would-be emigrants and travelers seeking adventure for no cost helped to make it seem romantic. Noted stowaways to America by steamship have included Henry Armetta, Bruno Richard Hauptmann, Willem de Kooning, Jan Valtin, and Florentino Das.

Air travel

Poor perimeter security at a number of airports around the world can make it easier for people to stow away on planes. [8]

Stowaways in aircraft wheel wells face numerous health risks, many of which are fatal: being mangled when the undercarriage retracts, tinnitus, deafness, hypothermia, hypoxia, frostbite, acidosis and finally falling when the doors of the compartment reopen. [9] The landing gear compartment is not equipped with heating, pressure or oxygen, which are vital for survival at a high altitude. [9] According to experts, at 18,000 feet (5,500 m), hypoxia causes lightheadedness, weakness, vision impairment and tremors. By 22,000 feet (6,700 m) the oxygen level of the blood drops and the person will struggle to stay conscious. [9] Above 33,000 feet (10,000 m) their lungs would need artificial pressure to operate normally. [9] The temperature could drop as low as −63 °C (−81 °F) which causes severe hypothermia. [9] Those stowaways who managed to not be crushed by the retracting undercarriage or killed by the deadly conditions would most likely be unconscious when the compartment door re-opens during the approach and fall several thousand feet to their deaths. [9]

David Learmount, an aviation expert of Flight International, told BBC about a lot of ignorance in this area. He suggested that no one would be willing to risk such a journey having full understanding of this kind of ordeal. [9] Stowaways who survived usually travelled relatively short distances or at a low altitude. [9] Two cases are known of people who survived at an altitude of about 38,000 feet (12,000 m) – a man on an 8-hour flight, whose body core temperature fell to 79 °F (26 °C), [10] and a 16-year-old boy who was unharmed by a 5.5 hour flight, despite losing consciousness. [11] Almost all aircraft stowaways are male. [9]

Aside from risk to themselves, aircraft stowaways can also cause significant risk and stress to others when impacted equipment compromises safety, as well as significant cost of equipment repair, damage to aircraft on landing, and runway closures. In 1994, Flight PH844 discovered the body of a deceased male stowaway was jamming the starboard carriageway. After 3.5 hours of maneuvers attempting to dislodge the body, the flight made an emergency landing using only the nosewheel and port undercarriage. [12] The air force of another country was required to assist move the damaged plane from the runway. [13]

In 1965, Brian Robson attempted to mail himself in a crate on a flight from Melbourne, Australia to London. The flight was diverted to Los Angeles, where he was discovered after four days in the crate. [14] In one reported case, in 2003, a young man mailed himself in a large box and had it shipped on UPS planes from New York City to Texas. He survived because the box travelled in a pressurized hold of an aircraft. [15]

From 1947 until September 2012, there were 96 known stowaway attempts worldwide in wheel wells of 85 separate flights, which resulted in 73 deaths with only 23 survivors. [9]

Stowaways may risk being fined or imprisoned, since it is illegal in most jurisdictions to embark on aircraft, boats or trains as stowaways. Airports, sea ports and train stations are typically marked as "no trespassing" or "private property" zones to anyone but customers and employees. Seaports, train stations, and airports often attempt further security by designating restricted areas with signs saying "Authorized Personnel Only".

Since the September 11 attacks, it has become more difficult to be a stowaway on board transportation arriving to or departing from the United States. Airport security has dramatically increased, and among the new security measures is trained professionals watching over the fences from which stowaways usually gain entrance to an airport's runway.

See also

Related Research Articles

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landing gear</span> Undercarriage of aircraft or spacecraft

Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called alighting gear by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin Company. For aircraft, Stinton makes the terminology distinction undercarriage (British) = landing gear (US).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cargo</span> Goods or produce transported

In transportation, freight refers to goods conveyed by land, water or air, while cargo refers specifically to freight when conveyed via water or air. In economics, freight refers to goods transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. The term cargo is also used in case of goods in the cold-chain, because the perishable inventory is always in transit towards a final end-use, even when it is held in cold storage or other similar climate-controlled facilities, including warehouses.

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Air Lines Flight 401</span> 1972 passenger plane crash in the Florida Everglades, United States

Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a scheduled flight from New York JFK to Miami. Shortly before midnight on December 29, 1972, the Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar crashed into the Florida Everglades, causing 101 total fatalities. All three cockpit crew members, two of the 10 flight attendants, and 96 of the 163 passengers were killed; 75 people survived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Learjet 25</span>

The Learjet 25 is an American ten-seat, twin-engine, high-speed business jet aircraft manufactured by Learjet. It is a stretched version of the Learjet 24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shah Amanat International Airport</span> Airport in Bangladesh

Shah Amanat International Airport, Chattogram is an international airport serving Bangladesh's southeastern port city of Chittagong. Operated and maintained by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, it is the second-largest international airport in Bangladesh after Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is used by the Bangladesh Air Force as a part of 'BAF Zahurul Haq Base'. It was formerly known as MA Hannan International Airport, named after Awami League politician M. A. Hannan, but was renamed on 2 April 2005 by the Government of Bangladesh, after an 18th-century Islamic saint, Shah Amanat. It is capable of annually handling 1.5 million passengers and 6,000 tonnes of cargo. It also serves as a base for the Arirang Flying School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145</span> 2005 aviation accident

Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145(SO1145/OSL1145) was a scheduled Nigerian domestic passenger flight from Nigeria's capital of Abuja (ABV) to Port Harcourt (PHC). At about 14:08 local time on 10 December 2005, Flight 1145 from Abuja crash-landed at Port Harcourt International Airport. The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 with 110 people on board, slammed into the ground and burst into flames. Immediately after the crash, seven survivors were recovered and taken to hospitals, but only two people survived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caledonian Airways Flight 153</span> 1962 deadly plane crash in Douala, Cameroon

Caledonian Airways Flight 153 was a multi-leg nonscheduled passenger service from Luxembourg via Khartoum, Lorenzo Marques, Douala and Lisbon, before heading back to Luxembourg. On 4 March 1962 a Douglas DC-7C flying the route, registration G-ARUD, crashed shortly after takeoff from Douala International Airport, Douala, Cameroon in a swamp on the edge of a jungle 2.4 kilometres off the airport. It is the deadliest crash of a DC-7. It is also the second-deadliest accident in Cameroon surpassed only by Kenya Airways Flight 507.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faleolo International Airport</span> Airport near Apia, Samoa

Faleolo International Airport is an airport located 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Apia, the capital of Samoa. Until 1984, Faleolo could not accommodate jets larger than a Boeing 737. Services to the United States, Australia, or New Zealand, could only land at Pago Pago International Airport in American Samoa. Since the airport's expansion, most international traffic now uses Faleolo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ground support equipment</span> Equipment for servicing aircraft between flights

Ground support equipment (GSE) is the support equipment found at an airport, usually on the apron, the servicing area by the terminal. This equipment is used to service the aircraft between flights. As the name suggests, ground support equipment is there to support the operations of aircraft whilst on the ground. The role of this equipment generally involves ground power operations, aircraft mobility, and cargo/passenger loading operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pan Am Flight 6</span> 1956 passenger plane crash over the Pacific ocean

Pan Am Flight 6 was a round-the-world airline flight that ditched in the Pacific Ocean on October 16, 1956, after two of its four engines failed. Flight 6 left Philadelphia on October 12 as a DC-6B and flew eastward to Europe and Asia on a multi-stop trip. On the evening of October 15 the flight left Honolulu on a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser Clipper named Sovereign Of The Skies. The accident was the basis for the 1958 film Crash Landing.

Air ACT, legally ACT Airlines and formerly branded as myCargo Airlines, is a Turkish cargo airline based in Kurtköy, Istanbul. It operates international scheduled and charter air cargo services, as well as wet and dry lease services. Its main base is Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, Istanbul.

In aeronautics, loss of control (LOC) is the unintended departure of an aircraft from controlled flight and is a significant factor in several aviation accidents worldwide. In 2015 it was the leading cause of general aviation accidents. Loss of control may be the result of mechanical failure, external disturbances, aircraft upset conditions, or inappropriate crew actions or responses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheel-well stowaway</span> People who attempt travel in the wheel wells of commercial passenger planes

Wheel-well stowaways are individuals who attempt to travel in the landing gear compartment, also known as the wheel bay or undercarriage of an aircraft. Between 1947 and June 2015, a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) researcher had documented 113 such attempts on 101 flights. These 113 people were all male and predominantly under age 30. There were 86 deaths, a 76 percent fatality rate, with many unidentified decedents. There may be additional undocumented cases of wheel-well stowaways. A further 19 incidents, identified since 2015, are listed here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeroflot Flight 2306</span> 1986 aviation accident

Aeroflot Flight 2306 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Vorkuta to Moscow in the Soviet Union, with a stopover in Syktyvkar. The Tupolev Tu-134 operated by Aeroflot crashed on 2 July 1986 during an emergency landing after it departed Syktyvkar, killing 54 of 92 passengers and crew on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FedEx Express Flight 630</span> 2006 aviation accident

FedEx Express Flight 630 was a regular scheduled cargo flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Memphis International Airport, Memphis, Tennessee. On July 28, 2006, the McDonnell Douglas MD-10-10F operating the flight, crashed upon landing due to a landing gear failure. The main left undercarriage collapsed seven seconds after touchdown causing the MD-10 to roll off the runway out of control. The aircraft finally came to a stop near taxiway M4 and caught fire. The fire consumed the wing and port engine and the crash and evacuation left everyone onboard injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 Ukrainian Cargo Airways Il-76 accident</span> 2003 aviation accident

On 8 May 2003, an Ilyushin Il-76MD operated by Ukrainian Cargo Airways suffered an explosive decompression following the opening of the cargo door in mid-air while flying over Mbuji-Mayi. The aircraft was conducting a civilian transport flight from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi. Death toll estimates vary widely from 17 to 200. There were more than 160 people on board, of which, seventeen were confirmed dead by the Congolese government, while other officials estimated the deaths to be 60, 129 or 170 and some survivors claimed that as many as 200 people were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeroflot Flight 558</span> 1972 aviation accident

Aeroflot Flight 558 was a scheduled Ilyushin Il-18V domestic passenger flight from Karaganda to Moscow that crashed into a field in the Abzelilovsky District on 31 August 1972 as a result of a fire stemming from exploded passenger baggage, killing all 102 people on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hop-A-Jet Flight 823</span> February 2024 aviation accident in Florida, USA

Hop-A-Jet Flight 823 was a chartered U.S. domestic flight operated by Hop-A-Jet from Ohio State University Airport in Columbus, Ohio, to Naples Airport in Naples, Florida. Shortly before landing on February 9, 2024, the pilots reported a dual engine failure and attempted to land on Interstate 75. The aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 604, was destroyed and consumed by a post-crash fire. Both pilots were killed, but the two passengers and the sole flight attendant on board survived.

References

  1. ↑ "What is a stowaway? | Sealand Support". PR Fire. Retrieved 2021-02-07.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Ancestry magazine". Ancestry Inc – via Google Books.
  3. ↑ International, Rotary (1 October 1921). "The Rotarian". Rotary International – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ "Stowaways". imo.org. International Maritime Organization . Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  5. ↑ Halliday, Josh (31 July 2015). "Cameron chairs Cobra meeting after overnight standoff in Calais". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "How are lorries checked for concealed migrants?". BBC News. 2019-10-24. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  7. ↑ "Legend from Hine's study". 18 February 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  8. ↑ "'He's a lost soul': mystery of man who fell to earth from plane". AP. The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Kelly, Jon (September 13, 2012). "How often do plane stowaways fall from the sky?". BBC News . Retrieved September 13, 2012.
  10. ↑ Stowaway Found Alive in Jet's Wheel Well
  11. ↑ 16-year-old Survives in Wheel Well of Maui Flight
  12. ↑ "Dead Stowaway Found After Emergency Landing". Los Angeles Times. September 15, 1994. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Samoa Plane". digitalpasifik.org. September 13, 2024.
  14. ↑ Murphy, Heather (2021-04-14). "A Man Who Shipped Himself in a Crate Wants to Find the Men Who Helped". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  15. ↑ Hannaford, Alex (29 August 2004), "The crate escape", The Guardian
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