Stowaway Survives 10-Hour Flight, as Another Body Crashes From 1,000 Feet

The body of a suspected stowaway was found atop an office building in West London on Thursday, and is believed to have plunged around 1,400ft from a Boeing 747 as it approached Heathrow Airport.

Meanwhile, another man is in critical condition in hospital after being discovered an hour earlier in the undercarriage of the aircraft — British police are investigating both incidents.

The survivor is believed to have climbed aboard the British Airways plane at OR Tambo International airport in Johannesburg before traveling over 8,000 miles from South Africa, largely in temperatures as low as -81 Fahrenheit on the 10-hour journey.

His identity is yet to be released but it is understood that he was found unconscious in the plane and he is believed to be 24 years old.

While there is no official evidence to link the cases yet, the victim fell onto offices belonging to the website Notonthehighstreet.com, based in Richmond, southwest London, below the busy fight path into Heathrow.

Reverend Neil Summers, of St. John the Divine church, located near the where the body was discovered, said he would lead prayers for the dead man and it was a "shocking thing to happen on your doorstep."

Summers told the Guardian: "Coupled with all the migrants coming across the high seas to Europe from north Africa, its just another example of how desperate people are to reach this country to find a better life for themselves."

This isn't the first time that such a tragedy has stuck West London. In September 2012, a 30-year old from Mozambique, Jose Matada, died after falling from the undercarriage of a Heathrow-bound flight from Angola on to a street in Mortlake, about 10 miles from where the body was found on Thursday.

Survival rates of wheel way stowaways are very low. According to FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, between 1947 and 2012, 73 out of 96 recorded stowaways have died during their attempted journey.

According to experts, at 22,000 feet it is difficult to maintain consciousness due to blood oxygen levels dropping. Once the plane reaches 33,000 feet the lungs cannot function properly. At this altitude hypothermia is likely to affect the stowaways exposed to the brutally low temperatures.

David Learmount told the Guardian that the fact one man survived — possibly by getting into the baggage hold where conditions are slightly warmer — also raised security issues.

Experts state that often the stowaways have lost consciousness by the time the plane's wheels are reopened, causing them to plummet to their death.

A spokeswoman from British Airways stated that they are working with London Metropolitan police and authorities in Johannesburg to establish the facts surrounding the incident.

Image via Flickr

The Associated Press contributed to this report.