Stowaway rides in Garuda plane’s landing gear

AN Indonesian man clung to the landing gear of a commercial plane as it flew as high as 34,000 feet, where the oxygen is very thin and temperatures are below zero degrees Celsius.

Mario Steven Ambarita. Picture: Facebook

AN Indonesian man has hitched a high-stakes ride to the country’s capital by clinging to the landing gear of a commercial plane.

21-year-old Mario Steven Ambarita sneaked onto the tarmac at an airport in Sumatra on Tuesday before clambering aboard the Boeing jet’s landing gear, air transport ministry director general Suprasetyo said.

The stowaway then sat there for the hour-long flight to the international airport just outside Jakarta, where he was discovered upon landing.

“He really put his safety in danger as the plane flew as high as 34,000 feet, where the oxygen is very thin and temperatures are below zero degrees Celsius,” Suprasetyo said.

Ambarita admitted to authorities he’d been planning the daring adventure for a year, staking out the airport in advance.

Local reports suggested the man was desperate to visit his birthplace Jakarta.

Suprasetyo said the unexpected passenger still managed to walk when the plane landed, but was staggering and had a bleeding ear.

“But his condition is now fine,” Suprasetyo said.

The man is still being questioned, and could face a one-year jail term if charged with putting the Garuda flight in danger.