Stowaway Onboard SIA Flight From KLIA

[Nizam 0]

Stowaway Onboard SIA Flight From KLIA

 

SINGAPORE, Oct 12 (Bernama) -- A man who sneaked into a Singapore Airlines (SIA) plane from Kuala Lumpur last night has been handed over to police.

 

Osama R M Shublaq, said to be a Palestinian, hid inside the wheel well of the SIA flight SQ119 that flew in from Kuala Lumpur at 10.56pm, according to a report in the Straits Times' online edition.

 

The man stunned the Changi Airport ground crew who were waiting to serve the twin-engine Boeing 777-200 when he fell out of the area where the front landing gear is stowed, it said. He was taken away by police.

 

The Straits Times quoted Datuk Azmi Murad, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) Senior General Manager (Operations), as saying SIA had informed MAHB, operator of the KL International Airport in Sepang, about the incident.

 

"We will assist and cooperate with Singapore authorities to investigate how it happened," he said.

 

-- BERNAMA

 

 

[Alan B. 5]

"World best airport", "World Longest baggage belt" and now "best security"!

 

 

[S V Choong 4]

Luckily the altitude was considerably lower than long haul flights, otherwise he would have ended up as an ice block......

[Fairul 0]

KLIA security? huh..not surpised.... <_>

[N Azman 0]

Luckily the altitude was considerably lower than long haul flights, otherwise he would have ended up as an ice block......

 

 

Its amazing that he survived the flight, at all! whats the max cruise alt on the 777 from here to SIN? must be more than 20000ft, at least..... How'd he breath at that altitude i wonder...

[S V Choong 4]

Umm... brought his own oxygen tank perhaps

[Teoh Z Yao 0]

Hwah... So lucky this guy...

 

What is this Palestinian thinking?? He could have ended up an ice block...

[Gavin Andrew David 6]

Must be a real james bond to make it so far ...

But did he actually think he'll get away with it ..

[Rozhan 0]

The management of the 'world's best', 'number one', 'top' airport operator on the planet must be very pleased with the performance of their security personnel!

 

If people can smuggle themselves in, they can smuggle something else on board.

 

And this case brings forth the issue of foreign workers working at sensitive areas in KLIA as I posted recently.

 

Serves MAHB right!

 

Oh by the way, a news article in today's paper reported that the Japanese architect of KLIA, Kisho Kurokawa has passed away yesterday.

 

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hywXBEy...9x_FzwD8S7SJFG1

Edited October 13, 2007 by Rozhan

[S V Choong 4]

Oh by the way, a news article in today's paper reported that the Japanese architect of KLIA, Kisho Kurokawa has passed away yesterday.

 

Yeah read this somewhere..... what a great architect he is.

 

[LeeCH 0]

I heard about this incident the very same night I came back from Hong Kong turnaround, just an hour after SQ 119 had touched down. Looks like MAB will have to relook into its security issues and I am thinking of the worst. It may affect our spotting activities in the future.

 

Again, it is so surprising that the pushback crew did not realise the stowaway was in the nose gear well. Those guys had to remove the headphone jacks once the crew give them the all clear. Perhaps they did not turn on the lights in the wheel well. Maybe stowaway climbed up whilst SQ 119 was holding position somewhere in KLIA. Or even it could be a general cleaner too.

 

On a KUL-SIN sector, freezing to death is no issue since we fly around FL200-FL230. And being in the moderate temperature region, at most it will be about +1 degrees outside. And being locked inside the fuselage itself reduces the risk even further. But what beats me is how this guy could survive without oxygen as at FL200 useful time of conciousness is only about 90 seconds at best.

 

 

[Wai Hung 0]

KUL-SIN is just a short hop, FL200?

[Galson Y. 0]

wat a shame...KLIA's security...

[Izanee 0]

he was probably a security guard at the world's best airport (for 15-25 million/year category) with the second tallest tower in the world (maybe that's why they didn't see him) and the first and largest LCCT in Asia (more like a kandang kerbau than anything).

 

how embarassing...

 

do you guys remember the hijacking of SQ117 in 1989? or was it 113?

 

the pakistani terrorists boarded at SZB....what a blow to the airport's security screening.

 

 

[adrianqcs 0]

KLIA plane wheel stowaway charged in S'pore court

Oct 13, 07 3:51am Adjust font size:

 

A man who survived hidden in the nose wheel well of a plane on a flight from Malaysia has been charged with entering Singapore without a valid pass or permit.

 

The 27-year-old Palestinian stowaway, Osama RM Shublaq, hid in the nose wheel well of Singapore Airlines flight SQ 119 from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Singapore's Straits Times said.

 

He is reported to have fallen about 2.4 metres from the SIA plane's wheel well to the ground after the Boeing 777-2000 taxied to a gate at Singapore Changi Airport on Thursday night.

 

He was arrested at 12:30am on Friday by airport police and was charged in a Singapore court on the same day.

 

If convicted he could be jailed for up to six months, caned three times or more, or fined up to S$6000 dollars (RM13,800).

 

Malaysian authorities are puzzled how he breached ground security at KLIA and climbed into the plane's wheel well without being spotted, the report said.

 

'He got to be a superhero'

 

Azharuddin A Rahman, a director at the Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia, told Singapore's Straits Times: "You've got to be a superhero to try such a thing!"

 

Azmi Murad, senior manager of operations of Malaysia Airports Holdings, which runs KLIA, said the airport would cooperate with Singapore authorities in investigations.

 

Airline industry sources believe this is the first case of a stowaway in a wheel well at Changi Airport, according to the newspaper.

 

Changi Airport is known for its strict security measures, including armed military and police on patrol.

 

An experienced pilot was quoted saying: "He could have been crushed by the retraction nose wheel, depending on where and how he was positioned."

 

It is believed the short journey time probably saved the stowaway because the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore flight took only about 35 minutes.

[Victor A. 2]

for all the best thing mention about KLIA/LCCT it seems that security issues remain the gray area. if i'm not mistaken, MAB security personal normally wonders around any aircraft while it is being service and baggage are loaded. so how come this security personal are not aware of such incidence? if that particular person was wondering around the taxi-way or runway for that matter, then MAB should be responsible. how can a person be allow to run around the restricted are without being notice. i guess MAB should get the airforce PASKAU or police VAT69 to patrol the airport area.

 

and most important of all, i do hope that MAB won't start chasing spotters who are basically standing outside the runway and practically does not interfere with any runway activity withing the airport area.

Edited October 14, 2007 by Victor A.

[Louis L. 2]

The management of the 'world's best', 'number one', 'top' airport operator on the planet must be very pleased with the performance of their security personnel!

 

If people can smuggle themselves in, they can smuggle something else on board.

 

And this case brings forth the issue of foreign workers working at sensitive areas in KLIA as I posted recently.

 

Serves MAHB right!

 

 

agree with u rozhan...MAHB should now realized and make some rigid action...eventhough we should not have prejudice toward foreign workers ....but since safety is the main concern...MAHB should think of a way to solve this problem.

 

 

for what i can is that MAHB is trying to cut cost by hiring foreign workers...

 

 

my 2 cent is that by throwing more budget into this security stuff....it will be more secure...

[Walter Sim 1]

I really do hope that our spotting opportunity will not be affected.

[Rozhan 0]

'He got to be a superhero'

 

I think not. MAB security is supermoron.

[Rozhan 0]

Agree there should not be prejudice against foreign workers as MASEU highlighted but I think they should not be working at high risk areas. If anything goes wrong such as pilfered luggage at KLIA, they will be conviniently accused of the crime although in past cases, it was found that some MAB security and MAS baggage handlers were the actual culprits.

 

I have seen foreign workers working at sensitive institutions of the country as cleaners and tea ladies. While it is quiet harmless if they are nice people working to make a living on a job locals 'don't want', it is a different matter if they are intelligence agents out to get confidential information for their government. As I see it, vetting of foreign workers leaves much to be desired by the authorities. Some syndicates are actually trafficking humans in the country... as shown be the thousands of stranded foreign nationals at the award winning, highly prestigeous KLIA.

 

As it is, this stowaway is a very serious breach of security and heads MUST roll. Breach of security at PEN led to the MAS 9M-MBD hijack and subsequent crash that killed everyone on board at Tanjung Kupang many years ago.

Edited October 14, 2007 by Rozhan

[Izanee 0]

What a stupid thing to say about a very serious lapse in security. I cannot believe he told that to the singapore media.

it is not a joke!

 

and yes, they are supermorons. that's all you can say. I don't even think there are real police officers in KLIA. aren't they auxillaries rather than proper policemen?

 

security is really poor - there is NO visible show of force. terrorists will have a field day if they decide to attack KLIA.

 

All the major british airports have patrolling police officers with assault rifles.

 

 

 

 

[Prashant K 0]

for the next 2-3 weeks they will really beef up the security at KLIA.......they will put actual cops( which will make no difference) and then they will go back to normal.........

[Nizam 0]

Recall back what MASEU said about foreign workers ......

 

‘Cut foreign workers at KLIA’

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has been asked to reduce the number of foreign workers at the KL International Airport in Sepang, especially in high-risk areas.

 

Malaysia Airlines Employees Union (Maseu) executive secretary Mustafar Maarof said that about 600 foreign workers were working for Malaysia Airlines (MAS) at the airport.

 

“Maseu urges the Government and others concerned to draw up a tighter system of recruiting, supplying and determining the number of foreign workers to prevent untoward incidents,” he said yesterday.

 

He said the foreign workers were brought in by private companies appointed by MAS to work at the baggage section, delivery of baggage and at the tarmac.

 

“Some sections of the KLIA are gazetted as prohibited areas under the law.

 

“But it is surprising that thousands of foreign workers were given passes by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) to work in high-risk areas which should be under tight security.

 

“It is understood that another 300 foreign workers are working at MASKargo,'' he added.

 

Mustafar said the foreign workers he was referring to did not include the hundreds brought in by other companies appointed by MAHB to work at the main terminal and satellite terminal buildings. – Bernama

 

 

[Samuel Chy 0]

Toys Story. :rofl:

[LW Wong 0]

FYI, baggage handlers at KLIA are paid RM600 a month with free staff housing.. My friend worked as one about 1 year ago. I am not sure about the latest pay.