Keith Sapsford (born 1956, died February 22, 1970) was a 14-year-old Australian stowaway who secretly snuck in Sydney Airport and then died after falling from the undercarriage of an aircraft's wheel compartment when it was 200 ft (60 m) above ground. Early life Born in 1956, he was raised in Randwick. His father was a university lecturer of mechanical & Industrial engineering. Incident On February 21, 1970, Keith decided to run away from home and go on holiday by himself. One day later Keith arrived at Sydney Airport. At that time regulations at major travel hubs were not very strict which allowed him to sneak onto the tarmac, noticing a Douglas DC-8 preparing for boarding. It took some hours for the plane to depart with Sapsford waiting in the compartment. When the plane re-opened the wheel compartment to retract the wheels, he felt 200 ft to the ground. The plane was a Japan Airlines plane on its way to Tokyo. His death was inspired by a Spanish boy who died hiding in a wheel compartment.
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