As a teenager, Keith Sapsford resented being sent to a Catholic residential school. He thought his only choice was to run away so he snuck onto the tarmac at Sydney Airport for a ride to Japan.
Joining the 17% of stowaways that do not survive, the Australian teenager tragically fell 200 feet shortly after liftoff to his death. The sad incident was captured by an amateur photographer, John Gilpin, who happened to be taking pictures at the airport.
Based on research, there have been several cases of stowaways. Reports say between 1947 and 2012, there were about 96 known stowaways attempts in wheel compartments of about 85 flights. However, of the 96 stowaways, only 23 survived while 73 died.
Who is Keith Sapford?
Keith Sapford was born in 1956 and was raised in Randwick, Sydney. His father, Charles Sapsford was a university lecturer of mechanical and industrial engineering.
Due to Keith’s adventurous nature, his family often traveled overseas to satisfy his adventurous nature. During his formative years, he became very rebellious so his parents did all they could to satisfy his needs.
By the time he was 14, his parents sent him to a catholic home for teenagers called Boys’ Town in the Southern Sydney suburb of Engadine. On February 21st, 1970, Keith decided to run away from home and go on holiday all alone.
Since he had no money on him, Keith sneaked into the tarmac of Kingsford Airport. While he was there, he saw a Douglas DC-8 preparing for boarding. He again sneaked onto the wheels and tried to hide in the compartment where the wheels of the plane get retracted after takeoff.
Keith Sapford Did not Survive Fall
While hiding in the wheels compartment, the aircraft took off and when the plane reopened its wheel compartment to retract its wheels, the 14-year-old boy fell 200 feet to his death.
After about a week, it was discovered that an amateur photographer, John Gilpin captured the boy falling feet-first from a plane. The amateur photographer was only taking pictures at the airport when he captured the infamous fall of Keith.
Keith Sapford’s parents had been looking for him for about two days before they received the news of his death. According to reports, even if Keith had not fallen, he might have died from lack of oxygen within the compartment.
Apparently, Keith’s father had previously told him about the story of a Spanish boy who died a few years earlier while hiding in a plane’s undercarriage.
Here are 5 Other Stowaways You Should Know
1. Armando Socarras Ramirez and Perez
Curious Cuban, Armando Socarras Ramirez had always wanted to leave his home country. On June 3, 1969, he and his friend, Perez planned to run away on a plane. They went to the airport on that fateful with rope, a torch, and cotton wool. As soon as the plane was headed towards the runaway, they jumped the fence.
According to reports, Perez started having second thoughts but Ramirez dragged him along. Perez entered the left wheel well while Ramirez entered the right. As soon as the plane took off, the compartment started opening and Perez was blown sideways by the wind. He fell out of the plane and was later found alive on the runaway in Havana.
As for Ramirez, he hid in the right wheel well of the Douglas DC-8, and by the time the plane landed in Madrid, Ramirez was found lying under the plane covered in ice. At first, it look like he was dead but he was later revived. He spent not less than 52 days recovering in the hospital.
Reports say he now lives in Virginia with his four children and 12 grandchildren.
2. World’s First Aerial Stowaway
According to reports, 19-year-old-old Clarence Terhune caught the media attention in 1928 after he made an attempt to run away to New Jersey. Clarence, a golf caddy from St. Louis Missouri was known for stowing away on trains and ships.
Apparently, he had a bet with his brother-in-law that he would survive his journey on the maiden flight of Graf Zeppelin. Luckily for him, he did. He allegedly hid in the hangar and came out once when the plane was over the Atlantic Ocean.
Before he was arrested, he was made to work in the kitchen till they got to their destination. Despite being hailed a hero by the Germans, he was arrested the moment the plane landed.
Read Also: 10 Moving Tales About Sole Survivors Of Plane Crashes
3. The Unidentified Kenyan
In 2019, a London university student was sunbaking when a frozen body landed in his garden. Reports say that the body was that of a mysterious stowaway that might have hidden in the landing gear of a Kenyan Airways plane. By the time the plane wanted to land at Heathrow Airport, the person fell off.
Wil, the student did not know it was a human body until he went close. He immediately called the police and the body was taken away. There was no clue as to where the person boarded the plane from until his Fanta bottle was found. The flight was originally from Johannesburg.
Samples of the man’s DNA and fingerprints were sent to Kenya but there was no match found.
4. Mohammed Ayaz
In 2001, the body of 21-year-old Mohammed Ayaz was found in the car park of a branch of Homebase in Richmond near Heathrow Airport.
5. Hikmet Komur
In July 2013, a man named Hikmet Komur died after he fell from the wheel well of a British Airways flight from Istanbul to London. According to reports, his family was advised not to seek for more information regarding how he got on the plane.
Reasons Why Not All Stowaways Survive
Research has shown that death is almost a guarantee for stowaways. However, there has been a certain percentage that has survived. Experts have revealed that lack of oxygen and freezing conditions at high altitudes will often kill stowaways. Also, such people tend to be crushed by retracting wheels of the plane or even fall out by the time the compartment reopens to release the wheels for landing.
Although there are chances of survival, experts have revealed taking the risk is not worth it. It has long been termed the highest degree of ignorance and desperateness.
