Wheel-well stowaway

High school (ages 12+)
Safety & Emergency

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/wheel-well-stowaway

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location of attempted concealment?The landing gear compartment (wheel well) of an aircraft
2. What is the FAA documented attempts (1947-2015)?113 attempts on 101 flights
3. Why do people try to hide in a wheel well?They may be desperate to travel without paying, or think they can get away. It is a risky way to move from one place to another.
4. How dangerous is it to be in a wheel well?The moving landing gear can crush a person, the air is very cold and has little oxygen, and the loud noise can hurt hearing. Most people who try do not survive.

Wheel well: The internal bay of an aircraft designed to house the landing gear when it is retracted into the fuselage.
Stowaway: An individual who secretly conceals themselves aboard a mode of transport to travel without authorization or payment.
Hypoxia: A pathological condition resulting from a deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues, particularly prevalent at high altitudes.
Hypothermia: A medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature.