Second Stowaway In A Month Found On Singapore Airlines Flight

November 9, 2007 4:25 p.m. EST

Singapore (AHN) - Authorities are investigating the case of a "burly Indian" stowaway who managed to sneak onto a Singapore Airlines (SIA) cargo flight and sit just meters behind the pilots. The incident raises security concerns because unlike passenger jets, there is no cockpit door protecting the pilots.

The unidentified man was caught an hour into the seven-hour flight from Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, to Amsterdam, Netherlands. The plane was forced to turn back to the UAE where the man was arrested.

He was the second stowaway found within a month on an SIA flight. On Oct. 11, a Palestinian fell out of the nose wheel of an SIA passenger plane at Changi Airport after it arrived from Kuala Lumpur. The incident happened last Tuesday but was not disclosed until Friday, the Straits Times (Singapore) reported.

The man could not speak English, did not appear drunk and was calm during the flight. He was served food and drink and was not restrained.

Concerned that the man would turn violent if he "saw sand instead of tulips," the shade next to the man's seat was pulled down so that he would not know where the plane was heading.