Stupid stunt?
 

Today we had a report of a person jumping the perimeter fence of LHR and running towards a BA 747 that was about to roll for take off on 27L. He climbed into the wheel-bay of the A/C.

He was later apprehended, the flight cancelled and the passengers had to be put up in hotels.

There was also reports of a group of people filming this dangerous person from landside near 27L.

A very stupid man indeed!!!

There was what must have been the first successful case of wheelwell stowaway a week or so back - usually they freeze and get annoxic and often mangled. Maybe this guy was inspired to emulate that act.

Pretty good fence it must be by the way...

This guy must have seen " Die another day " and tried to imitate 007 :eek: !

I actually started a thread regarding this topic on the 'aircrew misc' part of the site. I wouldn't say the person was 'stupid' but I wouldn't be surprised if it later transpires that the individual in question is mentally ill etc.

Edited the 'would to a wouldn't be' after 'but I'. Apologies for the poor grammar.

.....Or a tabloid journalist!

I thought stowaways's only try to get into Britain????? Out of interest does anyone know where the flight was destined for?

ES ;)

I'm surprised the nonse didn't get sucked into or blown back the engines!!!!!!

THE FLIGHT WAS BA287 DESTINED FOR SAN FRANCISCO.

I would like to hear a lot more facts about this one.

I know LHR very well, and each of the four potential holds for a 744 are a serious run from any part of the fence - probably 09L is the shortest, but I could be wrong. Even at 09L the sprint would be 2-300 metres. At 27L you would need to be of Olympic class to get from the fence to the a/c in time to climb aboard. All of the other holding a/c crews would have a view of what was going on and could call the tower.

If this report is correct the cameras suggest a journalistic stunt, but one that is too stupid even for a new editor wanting to make a name for herself, or himself, or whatever.

He was lined up on the threshold of 27L. Two minutes departure separation, so that's why he wasn't rolling.

I was doing Arrivals on 27R at the time, and noticed something running towards the 747 from the direction of block 88 (line up from the south), my first thought was that it was a fox or other wildlife, and as I was about to nudge my colleague to warn him, the crew of BAW287 was obviously reporting what they could see to him. We actually saw him climb up the port main undercarriage leg.

The 747 shut down on the runway and got towed back.

Very bizarre.

Gonzo.

With the weather you guys have on the island, I would also consider leaving. But not like that !!

Of Greater Concern
 

If it had been the black of night, could he have attached (unobserved) a limpet to the main u/c leg so that it would blow on retraction (or by cell phone activation or baro/temp)?

Anyone managing to get past the fence only has to approach the last a/c in line at the holding point from the rear and his task is relatively simple.

Someone has to point out the obvious.

Now I can understand a thorough inspection of the wheelwell before releasing the a/c, but overnight:confused:

:( OK, now lets see if I have this straight. As is being discussed in various other threads, security levels inside terminals are being taken to ridiculos levels, security levels inside aircraft even more so, where it is now to the point that a crew member is not allowed to take his wife in the jump seat, BUT individuals can calmly climb a fence a LHR and climb into the wheel well of a 747 that is about to take off???!!!!???

Is there a point I am missing? Please tell me someone, because I am astonished that this is even possible, while most of us, who either just want to do our jobs and go home or simply go from A to B, have to put up with a daily "criminal inspection" in the name of "security"!!!

Thanks Gonzo, that is a definitive explanation.

What about the alleged video cameras? I am sceptical, but if that bit is true, there are many questions to answer.

Drove past the section of fence (T4=>T123 if I have this right) the other day, and noticed that the barbed wire only appears between alternate panels of fencing. Were they short of money or something?:confused: :confused: :confused:

Unwell_Raptor
This is the first I've heard about video cameras.

SLF
Short of money? Well, maybe if I told you that earlier this month we were single runway for more than half an hour because the remains of a splattered fox on 09L had rendered it unuseable. It was half an hour because there were no drivers available to drive the sweeper truck to clear it up. In the end we were told that a driver had to be taken off de-icing duty. I won't bother to make any facile remark about it being the busiest airport in the country, blah blah blah.

Gonzo.

As I understand the incident, it was reported by some spotters who happened to video the intrusion that 2 guys climbed over a gate (which had razor wire atop ) - one of them hared straight at the 744 (witnessed by Gonzo et al) where he evidently tried to climb into the port wheelwell and the other went off in a westerly direction. Whether he knew it was US bound or not I don't know.

The first one, presumably, gave up trying to climb in the'plane and just sat on one of the tyres were he was collected by the Airfield Ops guys, then handed over to the boys in blue. He was reportedly wearing a backpack:eek: , spoke little English but did admit to being Slovakian.

The, by now, shut down 'plane was towed to stand W3 where the flight was cancelled and everyone hotelled. The Police then thoroughly searched the aircraft. Nothing/nobody was found.

The biggest worry was what had happened to the other one - was he still lurking near the runway, had he gone and hidden in an aircraft parked in T4. The whole area was checked, even with sniffer dogs, as were all the parked aircraft. He was never found. Had he gone out, unseen, on a preceding aircraft?

A quite odd and worrying incident.

SLF - what you've probably seen is where there is an extra rolled up length of razor wire on the top of the fence where there is an adjacent aid to climbing over such as a lamp post or road sign. The fence, I assure, you has 3 continuous horizontal lines of razor wire all around. I've been trying to escape for years.

SOPS - how do you suggest an airfield of any great size be made impregnable - to a quick strike such as this? Where there's a will there's usually a way but only so much can be done to negate the threat. These guys must have been really desperate to put themselves at such risk to get out of the UK.

Does this guy realize how cold SF is this time of year and how weird the politics is in that city?

sops


I am afraid in security you get what you pay,pay a pittance you get a...... need I say more

Fence not much of a barrier
 

Your average camping/climbing shop has all sorts of handy items for getting over the average airfield perimeter fence in next to no time.

Sensors are needed too.

Gonzo, Thanks for the inside information! Now, about this fox - it WAS a fox, I take it?:p

I'll just add that the boys in blue, BAA 'yellow van man' and BAA security do come past frequently around the perimeter and that point. You're more likely to see a British Bobby at LHR than the average town centre on a Saturday afternoon.

I suppose its time to wait and see what the BAA management reaction is in the morning and coming week.

Few Cloudy,

We were told by the aircraft that did the deed that it was a fox, and Checker didn't say otherwise when he went out to have a look and closed the runway until it was swept.

Must have been a very big fox then!

Gonzo.

why close half of LHR for fox remains anyway?

How about plastering pictures of Helen Clarke all over the fence, I use one to keep my kids away from the fireplace!;)

"Who's Helen Clarke?", you ask.
He's the Prime Minister of New Zealand - 2 tiny, sheep-infested islands that lie east of Australia.

But, Buster, whom would you get to do the job (of putting the posters up)?

Don't know what all this fuss is about - the gent(s) probably just wanted to experience the 74's wake vortices (a la pushing tin) :eek:

I am staggered Gonzo - appreciate nothing to do with your modus operandi, but LHR Ops don't carry shovels & bin bags:rolleyes:
What happens when you get birdstrikes and other debris on the surfaces - always wait for mechanical removal?

Sharpshot,

This is the first time I've known checker to require a sweeper truck to come out. Usually as you say they usually use a shovel and bin bag!

Gonzo.

On another thread (concerning possible Manpad threats) somebody mentioned the advantages of encouraging spotters to be aware of security risks and making arrangements for them to contact security ops easily. I think this bears out the point, given that they were apparently able to video the incident. Why not put up a few motorway type emergency phones around the perimeter/publicise a direct phone no. for LHR Security? The downside is that it would attract !!!!!!!! calls, but that's trivial.

Vigilantes etc...
 

Well, the idea, or something like it is already being mooted in the States - here a bit of plaigarism from the Avweb:

MISSILE WATCH...
Last Wednesday, The Washington Post reported the existence of a task force created to assess the ground-based threat to air travel and try to prevent the use of shoulder-launched ground-to-air missiles that could theoretically be launched against airliners from beyond the airport security perimeter. While military technology might provide some of the answers, the task force appears focused on enlisting the help of ordinary citizens to prevent such attacks. "There's a wide-ranging, active discussion about this issue," said Transportation Department spokesman Chet Lunner. According to the Post, the committee was working on the threat even before last November's unsuccessful portable missile attack on an Israeli airliner in Kenya.

Anyone watched "Jackass: The Movie?" :D

The "He" you mentioned is actually a "She" although she looked ugly in both genders. :eek: :D :p

Perhaps I could join the "task force" & use my laser pointer in a Son of Star Wars type missile defence???

Kaptin, SAS volunteers in full chemical warfare suits!

We obviously aren't treating asylum seekers well enough. I'm sure if they were given a bigger house and a larger expense account they would stay.

After this incident, no doubt Tony will make a fleet of G5's available to any asylum seeker feeling the need to travel..........:mad: :mad:

unwiseowl

Re closing down for collection of fox remains.

It'd be pretty silly to risk ingesting half a fox just as you start to roll, don't you think?

Perhaps they need to invest some of the £55,000 they are paying the T5 builders on decent security instead :eek:

We as crew find it hard enough to get on our own plane,however two Eastern Europeans can get over the fence!! :mad:

The good good news is that they obvisously found out our health service was'nt as good as they thought and decided to leave,let's hope they pass on the message to all their friends in Songat(don't know if that's the spelling!!).

:D :D

NJR.

Get with the program NJR, Sangatte is closed.:rolleyes: