In a striking reminder of a desperate past, a recent incident involving a 13-year-old Afghan boy landing in Delhi by hiding in a plane’s wheel well brought back memories of a much older and tragic case — one that unfolded nearly three decades ago and involved two brothers from Punjab, India.

In October 1996, Pardeep Saini, 23, and his younger brother Vijay, 19, both car mechanics from Punjab, attempted a perilous journey to the UK. With little money and slim chances of getting a visa, they paid an agent £150 for what he falsely described as a way to reach the baggage compartment through the landing gear — a route that doesn’t exist. Desperate to escape what they saw as a dead-end life and fearing accusations of separatist ties during a turbulent time in Punjab, they took the risk.

Under the cover of night at Delhi airport, the brothers climbed into the wheel well of a Boeing 747. Soon after, the plane took off on its 10-hour flight to London. Inside the cramped space, exposed to hurricane-force winds and temperatures that plunged to minus 60°C, they clung on. Dressed only in light cotton clothes, they quickly lost consciousness.

Vijay died mid-flight, likely frozen, and his body fell from the aircraft as it approached Heathrow, discovered days later in Surrey. Pardeep, against all odds, survived — doctors believed he entered a state of suspended animation. He was found wandering the tarmac, disoriented, and later taken to a detention centre, where he learned of his brother’s death.

Pardeep’s story stunned Britain. Captain Michael Post, the pilot, even wrote to him, saying he hoped to one day see him as a legitimate passenger "inside" the plane. After a long legal battle and support from public figures, Pardeep was eventually granted residency in the UK. He later worked at Heathrow Airport.

Though hailed as incredibly lucky, Pardeep carried the trauma of that flight for years. "Some days he feels lucky," his uncle once said, "but then he realises the agony that luck has brought."

Today, his whereabouts are unknown — but his story remains one of tragic desperation, survival, and the high human cost of seeking a better life.