13-Year-Old Afghan Boy Hides in Plane’s Landing Gear, Reaches Delhi

In an incident that stunned both passengers and airport officials, a 13-year-old boy from Afghanistan secretly hid in the landing gear compartment of a commercial aircraft and survived a two-hour journey from Kabul to New Delhi.

The daring and highly dangerous stunt, which the boy admitted was driven purely by “curiosity,” has raised serious concerns about airport security.

The Unbelievable Journey

According to officials, the boy managed to sneak past multiple security layers at Kabul airport and crawl inside the rear central landing gear compartment of KAM Air flight RQ-4401. The aircraft departed from Kabul and landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport around 11 a.m. on Sunday.

When discovered, the boy revealed that he had no ulterior motive—he had simply wanted to see if he could pull off the dangerous feat.

Interrogation and Deportation

The boy was detained and questioned by security agencies for several hours. Officials confirmed that he repeated the same story: he had managed to enter the airport premises undetected and hide in the aircraft’s landing gear “just out of curiosity.”

After the interrogation, authorities decided to send him back to Kabul. He was placed on a return flight later the same day, departing around 12:30 p.m., and eventually deported on another flight at 4 p.m.

Security Checks and a Red Speaker

Following the discovery, CISF and airline security teams carried out detailed inspections of the aircraft, especially the landing gear compartment. During the search, they found a small red-colored speaker, believed to have been carried by the boy. The aircraft was thoroughly checked for any signs of sabotage, and was later declared safe to operate.

A Wake-Up Call for Security

While the boy’s actions were motivated by nothing more than reckless curiosity, the incident has highlighted vulnerabilities in airport security at Kabul.

Aviation experts point out that surviving inside a landing gear compartment is nearly impossible due to extreme cold, lack of oxygen, and crushing mechanical movements. That a 13-year-old managed the journey has astonished both security officials and medical experts alike.