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Romanian stowaway survives flight to London

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-06-10 11:21

A Romanian man who stowed away inside a plane's rear wheel compartment on a flight from Vienna to London has been released without charge, British police said on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said the 20-year-old was arrested after he fell onto the tarmac as the plane landed at London's Heathrow airport on Sunday evening.

He said it was an unusual way to travel, adding "I think most people buy a ticket."

Paramedics checked the man for injuries and police questioned him before letting him go.

The man is understood to have survived the flight because the plane flew at a lower altitude than usual due to stormy weather, according to British media reports.

Aviation officials said stowaways risked death from freezing temperatures, a lack of oxygen and being crushed by the landing gear after takeoff.