CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A stowaway was discovered dead in the landing gear compartment of an American Airlines aircraft during routine maintenance shortly after 9 a.m. on Sunday at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
The jet had just arrived from Europe when Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department airport-division officers pronounced the individual deceased at the scene. Homicide detectives have launched a death investigation to determine the stowaway’s identity and how they accessed the undercarriage.
An American Airlines spokesperson said the carrier is cooperating fully with law enforcement. Airport officials added they were “deeply saddened” by the incident and will support investigators as needed. No further details about the person’s nationality or circumstances of boarding have been released.
Stowaways in wheel-well compartments face extreme cold, low oxygen and mechanical hazards, making survival exceedingly rare. Earlier this year, two individuals perished under similar circumstances in a wheel-well on a JetBlue flight arriving at New York’s JFK Airport.
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