A teen boy from Afghanistan had the thrill of his life after stowing away on an international flight. The boy had dreams of traveling to another country, and he got more than he could have ever imagined when he ended up much further away than he evidently intended. Traveling several hundred miles away, he hid amongst the landing gear. But as exciting as his trip sounds, it could have been extremely dangerous. In fact, he’s lucky he survived to tell the story.
The 13-year-old boy hid in the rear wheel area of a Kam Air passenger plane leaving Kabul, Afghanistan, on September 21, 2025, The Indian Express reported. He thought he was traveling to Tehran, Iran, but ended up landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India.
According to the outlet, the boy, who is from Kunduz, trailed behind a group of passengers to get to the plane. He took his hiding spot armed with only a “small red-coloured audio speaker.” When the flight landed in Delhi, he was spotted on the tarmac by airport workers, wearing pajamas, per the Express. The workers informed Central Industrial Security Force personnel at the airport of the surprise discovery.
“Upon inquiry, it turned out that he hid in the rear central landing gear compartment (rear wheel well) of the aircraft,” the security force shared in a statement. “An aircraft security check was conducted by the airline’s security and engineering staff, during which a small red-coloured audio speaker was found in the rear landing gear area.”
The teen boy was taken to Immigration Department officials at the airport. After “detailed questioning,” he was put back on the same flight back home a few hours later.
CNN reported that the distance between Kabul and Delhi is about 621 miles. The flight took about an hour and a half.
Hiding in the plane’s wheel well like the teen did is the most common way people stow away on a plane, according to CNN. It is also one of the most dangerous. The news outlet noted it’s a cramped space, especially when the gear retracts. It’s smaller than the trunk of a car.
Additionally, the rest of the plane isn’t pressurized like the cabin is. This means that there isn’t as much oxygen, and stowaways can lose consciousness, per the news outlet. Temperatures also drop significantly, which can lead to hypothermia. In short, the teen boy is very lucky he survived the trip without dying.
