A stowaway was found deceased in the landing gear compartment of an American Airlines plane that had just arrived from Europe at Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) Airport in North Carolina on Sunday, according to a press release issued by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
The body was discovered by maintenance staff shortly after 9 a.m. local time as they serviced the aircraft on Hangar Road within the airport division. The death has prompted an official investigation by the CMPD homicide unit.
“CLT Airport is aware of the tragic discovery involving a deceased individual found in an American Airlines aircraft this morning,” a CLT spokesperson told Newsweek in an emailed statement. “We are deeply saddened by this news and will support Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s (CMPD) investigation as needed.”
Newsweek has also reached out to American Airlines for comment by email Sunday for more information.
Why It Matters
The discovery of a deceased stowaway in a plane’s landing gear has brought renewed attention to the dangers and desperation that drive individuals to undertake such perilous journeys across international borders.
Stowaway incidents are relatively rare but often fatal, reflecting persistent security challenges in global aviation and humanitarian crises that may motivate such attempts.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there have been more than 125 known stowaway cases worldwide since 1947, with a fatality rate exceeding 75 percent due to extreme cold, lack of oxygen, and traumatic injuries sustained during flight or landing.
In July 2021, a stowaway died after falling from a Kenya Airways flight upon landing in London and in November 2021, a man survived a flight from Guatemala to Miami in the landing gear but was hospitalized in critical condition.
What To Know
Detectives responded to the airport after workers located the body in the aircraft’s landing gear compartment during a routine maintenance check when the plane arrived after a transatlantic flight from Europe.
CMPD pronounced the individual dead at the scene, but no information about their identity or origin has been released.
Crime Scene Search and MEDIC were also involved in processing the scene and collecting evidence, according to CMPD’s press release.
American Airlines has said it is cooperating with law enforcement and working directly with investigators on the case. The airline has so far not released any details about the circumstances surrounding the stowaway’s entry onto the aircraft.
What Happens Next?
The CMPD Homicide Unit’s investigation is ongoing, with police expected to release further information as it becomes available.
The airport has continued normal operations amid the investigation.
CMPD has asked members of the public with any information to contact Detective Murphy of the Homicide Unit directly at 704-432-8477 or to share tips anonymously through Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
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