A chilling discovery at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina has prompted an active investigation after a suspected stowaway was found dead inside the landing gear compartment of an American Airlines jet that had just arrived from Europe.
Stowaways are individuals who attempt to secretly board transportation, often in extremely dangerous areas of a vehicle, such as the landing gear of airplanes, to travel without detection or payment. These risky attempts often result in death due to freezing temperatures and low oxygen levels at high altitudes.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police confirmed the body was found during a maintenance check on Sunday morning.
“The body was located during maintenance. We are conducting a full investigation,” the department stated.
Neither the airline nor the police has shared information on the identity of the deceased or which European city the flight originated from.
American Airlines confirmed it is working closely with law enforcement and directed all inquiries to the police. The airport also released a statement saying it was “deeply saddened by the discovery” and pledged full support for the ongoing investigation.
Experts estimate that about 77 percent of individuals who hide in an aircraft’s wheel well do not survive due to the harsh conditions once a plane is airborne.
This incident mirrors two earlier tragedies in 2024. In January, two bodies were found in a JetBlue aircraft’s wheel well in Fort Lauderdale. And in December, another was found aboard a United Airlines plane that had flown to Maui from Chicago.
