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Stowaway Survives 5-Hour Flight to Hawaii

** Hawaiian Airlines**
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A 16-year-old boy miraculously survived a 5.5-hour flight from California to Hawaii in the wheel well of a Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 767.
  • He endured extreme conditions, including freezing temperatures and a lack of oxygen at high altitude, a survival feat that is extremely rare for wheel-well stowaways.
  • The teen, who had run away from home after a family argument, was discovered at Maui's Kahului Airport and will not be charged, instead being referred to child protective services.
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A teenager who climbed into the wheel well of a Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 767 survived a flight from California to Hawaii on Sunday despite freezing temperatures and a lack of oxygen as the jetliner cruised for hours at FL380.

FBI and airline officials said the 16-year-old boy was questioned after he climbed down from the airplane onto the tarmac at Maui’s Kahului Airport with no identification. Security footage from San Jose International Airport in California verified that the teen climbed over a perimeter fence to get to Hawaiian Airlines Flight 45 on Sunday morning. The FBI said he had run away from home after an argument with his family.

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