Stowaway flies from KL to Singapore in wheel well

SINGAPORE, OCT 13 (Reuters) A Palestinian man flew from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore hidden in the wheel well of a Singapore Airlines plane, the airline said today.

The 27-year-old was arrested at Changi Airport on Thursday night after he fell out of the Boeing 777-200's nose wheel well -- the space the wheel retracts into after takeoff -- shortly after the plane had landed, the Straits Times newspaper said.

The stowaway probably survived the journey because the plane was only in the air for around 35 minutes, the Straits Times quoted pilots as saying.

Because of the short journey, the plane was at maximum altitude, where temperatures can fall as low as minus 15 Celsius (5 Fahrenheit), for about six minutes, on pilot told the paper. A Singapore Airlines spokesman confirmed the report but declined to elaborate, citing ongoing investigations.

REUTERS SKB KP1127