What We Know About the Teen Stowaway Who Landed in Hawaii

The 15-year-old ran away from home in Santa Clara, Calif.

ByABC News
April 21, 2014, 4:11 PM

April 21, 2014 — -- The wayward teen who appears to have miraculously survived a five-hour flight inside an airplane's wheel-well is a runaway from Santa Clara, Calif., the FBI said.

The boy -- 15 years old, according to the airport -- ran away from his family after an argument, FBI spokesman Tom Simon said on Sunday night.

READ MORE: Experts Question Plane Stowaway's Story

The teen, who hasn't been named, is believed to have jumped a fence at the San Jose Airport and settled into the Hawaiian Airlines jetliner's unpressurized wheel-well, unnoticed by airport security.

Authorities said the teen told them that he passed out after the Maui-bound plane took off, and somehow survived, despite freezing temperatures and a lack of oxygen -- a feat that has experts puzzled.

Crew members found him wandering the tarmac in Maui without identification. He was taken into custody and examined by a doctor who found no injuries.

At this time, the teen isn't facing federal charges, Simon said.

He's been turned over to child protective services in Hawaii.

The boy's parents have been notified, San Jose Police said.

This story has been updated to reflect a change in the age of the stowaway teen, who authorities previously said was 16 years old.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.