Illegal Passenger Enters Island Via Wheel Well

A man managed to stowaway in a wheel well on a Singapore Airlines aircraft flying from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore last week. The fly-for-free incident has prompted Malaysian officials to order a probe into how he breached security, which has the Palestinian national in jail there, according to Malaysian national news agency Bernama.

Osama R.M. Shublaq, 27 stunned the ground crew at Changi Airport when he fell out from the wheel well of the Singapore Airlines aircraft, a Boeing 777-200, shortly after it landed late Thursday, Oct. 11, according to The Star, a Malaysian daily.

The Star also reported that Shublaq was dizzy from a lack of oxygen after the 55-minute flight, but was otherwise unhurt. Shublaq was then detained by Singaporean police and charged with entering the island illegally.

"He could have been crushed by the retracting nose wheel, depending on where and how he was positioned," a pilot was quoted as saying in the Straits Times. Malaysian authorities were baffled as to how the man could have breached ground security at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and climbed into the cubby hole unnoticed.

"You have got to be a superhero to try such a thing," Azharuddin Rahman, a director at Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation, told the newspaper.

It was believed to be the first case involving a stowaway in a wheel at Changi.

Minister Chan Kong Choy and other transport ministry officials and staff at Changi Airport were reported as stunned by the incident. Chan expressed dismay at the breach of security at Malaysia's main airport as reported in the Star.

"I am very unhappy," said Chan. "Such an incident should not occur, as the airport area has tight security. This is the first time at KLIA. I want to know how this happened," Chan told reporters at the Hari Raya open house hosted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his Cabinet ministers at the Putra World Trade Center on Saturday.

The government has ordered an investigation, Malaysian national news agency Bernama said. Chan said he hoped to get the detailed report on Oct. 16.

The Department of Civil Aviation and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad are investigating the case with cooperation from their Singapore counterparts.

The Star also reported that the Palestinian had targeted a Thai Airways flight but had instead climbed into a Singapore Airlines shuttle flight leaving KLIA at 9:45pm to Singapore.

Officials said the man had admitted his intention during questioning by police in Singapore.

Osama was charged in a Singapore court on Friday Oct. 12 with entering Singapore without a valid pass or permit. If convicted, he could be jailed for up to six months, caned three strokes or more, or fined up to 6,000 Singapore dollars ($4,026 US dollars).

FMI: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/10/15/nation/19169841&sec=nation, www.zimbio.com/pilot?SP=1&ID=&ZURL=Kuala%2BLumpur%2Ftrackers%2F6%3FSort%3Dr