Two bodies were discovered in the landing gear of a JetBlue plane that flew from New York City to Florida, the airline revealed Tuesday.
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During a routine post-flight maintenance inspection at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the bodies were found inside the landing gear compartment, a JetBlue spokesperson confirmed to the New York Post.
The Airbus A320 had a busy schedule on Monday, according to FlightAware data. Its day began with a 1:10 a.m. departure from Kingston, Jamaica. It arrived in New York in time for a 7:36 a.m. flight to Salt Lake City. After completing its journey to Salt Lake City, the jet returned to JFK. Next, it wrapped up the day with a final flight to Fort Lauderdale.
Authorities reported that the airline is withholding the identities of the deceased. Meanwhile, the airline is investigating how the pair managed to access the aircraft.
“This is a heartbreaking situation. We are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred,” the spokesperson told The Post.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths are still under investigation.
The Incident Follows Another Body Found in Another Flight’s Landing Gear Over the Holidays
The discovery follows an incident two weeks ago when a body was found in the wheel bay of a United Airlines flight traveling from Chicago to Maui. The body was found in the wheel well of a Boeing 787-10’s landing gear after it landed at Kahului Airport, United Airlines said.
United’s statement clarified that the wheel well is accessible exclusively from the exterior of the aircraft.
“At this time, it is not clear how or when the person accessed the wheel well,” the airline said. They also added the company is working with law enforcement to gather more information.
The Federal Aviation Administration reports that stowaways often hide in the landing gear compartment. However, a 2011 FAA report found that 80 percent of people who stow away in an aircraft’s wheel well don’t survive.
Stowaways often get crushed when the landing gear closes due to the limited space, sometimes less than a car trunk.
At higher altitudes, conditions become harsher for stowaways. Oxygen levels drop, making it hard to stay conscious. Outside, temperatures can fall to -75 or -80 degrees Fahrenheit. These extremes severely reduce blood flow, risking frostbite and hypothermia.