HONOLULU — Airport officials in San Jose, Calif., say a 16-year-old boy who stowed away aboard a Hawaii-bound flight scaled a perimeter fence at the California airport while it was dark.
San Jose airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes said on Monday the boy remained undetected as he crossed the airport ramp and entered the wheel well of Hawaiian Airlines Flight 45. Barnes says the airport’s security exceeds federal requirements, but no system is 100 percent secure.
The flight left Sunday morning for Maui. The FBI says the boy hopped down from the wheel well when the plane landed at the Maui airport and was seen wandering the airport grounds.
He was questioned by the FBI, but then released to child protective services. He wasn’t charged with a crime, but San Jose police say they will review whether charges are warranted.