This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
On November 5, 2019, a Kenya Airways plane, KQ761, was en route from Johannesburg to Nairobi when it made an unexpected turn back. According to the Aviation Herald, the pilot was notified of a maintenance engineer on board, despite the crew being informed that the engineer should have been left in Johannesburg.
The Boeing 787-8 plane had departed from Oliver Tambo Airport at 12:10 South African time, but turned back 30 minutes later. The crew later reported that the maintenance engineer was found conscious after the plane landed.
Kenya Airways initially denied the claims of a stowaway, stating that the plane turned back due to operational reasons. However, the Aviation Herald reported that the crew was informed of the presence of the maintenance engineer, leading to the plane's return to Johannesburg.
Just months prior, a dead stowaway was discovered on a Kenya Airways plane headed to London from Nairobi. The body of the unidentified male was found in a garden in Clapham, South London, with a bag containing food and clothing discovered at the rear left landing gear.
