CHARLOTTE— A body was discovered inside the landing gear of an American Airlines (AA) aircraft at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) on Sunday morning. The aircraft had just returned from Europe, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
Authorities confirmed that officers were called to a maintenance hangar shortly after 9 am on September 28. Engineers conducting routine checks on the American Airlines plane found the body, prompting an immediate investigation by CMPD’s Homicide Unit.
Photo: Cado PhotoAmerican Airlines Dead Stowaway
The American Airlines aircraft had just arrived from Europe and was parked for scheduled maintenance when engineers uncovered the body inside its landing gear compartment.
CMPD confirmed that homicide detectives and forensic teams were deployed to the scene, with additional support from airport medical and operational units.
While the aircraft had completed a transatlantic flight, investigators have not yet determined whether the deceased individual originated in Europe or had boarded the aircraft earlier during its operations.
Previous incidents in the United States show that stowaways have occasionally been discovered after multiple domestic or international rotations, making the origin of such cases complex to confirm, PYOK reported.
Photo: Clément AlloingAmerican Airlines’ Transatlantic Routes
American Airlines operates Boeing 777 aircraft from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to six European destinations:
- Frankfurt (FRA)
- Munich (MUC)
- Dublin (DUB)
- Rome (FCO)
- Madrid (MAD)
- London Heathrow (LHR)
The airline runs daily flights to each city, with London served up to three times a day. Given the widebody aircraft used on these routes, the risk of stowaway attempts is higher due to extended flight times and aircraft accessibility at some departure airports.
Official Statements on the Investigation
In a statement, CMPD confirmed that the case is active and ongoing. The department noted that further details will be released as available through its Public Affairs Office.
American Airlines declined to provide specifics, stating only that the carrier is cooperating fully with law enforcement authorities.
Photo: By Danny Yu – https://www.airliners.net/photo/United-Airlines/Boeing-787-10-Dreamliner/5587795/L, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80697105Similar Incidents
This incident is not isolated. In December last year, a deceased stowaway was found in the landing gear of a United Airlines (UA) Boeing 787-10 after a flight to Maui (OGG) from Chicago O’Hare (ORD). Investigators later noted the aircraft had recently flown from São Paulo (GRU), a location considered at risk for such attempts.
In January, JetBlue (B6) discovered a body in the landing gear of an Airbus A320 that landed at Fort Lauderdale (FLL) following a flight from New York (JFK). That aircraft had recently operated to Jamaica, another region where such incidents have been reported.
The Extreme Risks of Landing Gear Stowaways
Traveling in an aircraft’s landing gear bay is almost always fatal. At cruising altitudes of 35,000 feet, temperatures can drop between -58°F and -76°F.
Oxygen levels at that height can also cause hypoxia, leading to loss of consciousness and death within minutes.
Survival is rare, though isolated cases exist. Earlier this month, a 13-year-old Afghan boy survived a Kam Air Airbus A340 flight from Kabul (KBL) to New Delhi (DEL) after hiding in the landing gear. He was found alive on the tarmac in Delhi and later deported back to Afghanistan on a regular passenger seat.
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