Two individuals were found deceased in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue aircraft at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
The grim find was made during a routine post-flight maintenance inspection on Monday night.
The aircraft, an Airbus A320 operating as Flight 1801, had departed from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and landed in Fort Lauderdale at approximately 11:10 p.m.
The flight proceeded without incident, and passengers disembarked normally, unaware of the stowaways.
Maintenance personnel discovered the bodies while conducting a standard inspection of the aircraft.
The identities of the individuals remain unknown, and it is unclear how they managed to access the landing gear compartment.
JetBlue has expressed deep sorrow over the incident, stating, “This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred.”
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation, with assistance from federal agencies. Authorities are working to determine the circumstances that led to this tragic event, including the possibility that the individuals were attempting to stow away on the flight.
Stowaways in aircraft landing gear compartments face extreme dangers, including hypothermia, hypoxia, and being crushed by the landing gear mechanisms.
Survival rates are exceedingly low due to the harsh conditions encountered during flight. This incident follows a similar case where a body was found in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight that landed in Hawaii.
JetBlue has pledged full cooperation with the investigation, emphasizing its commitment to safety and security.
The airline stated, “We are working with authorities to understand how this incident took place and to ensure it does not happen again.”
Operations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport have continued without disruption. Airport officials have assured the public that there are no impacts to flights or passenger services.
