A stowaway was found dead Sunday in the landing gear of an American Airlines flight that arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, from Europe, according to police.
Crews performing maintenance on the plane discovered the individual around 9 a.m. Sunday morning, and airport division officers declared the stowaway dead on scene, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said.
In a statement to ABC News, American Airlines said, “We are working with law enforcement on its investigation.”
Charlotte Airport authorities said they were aware of the incident. “We are deeply saddened by this news and will support the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s (CMPD) investigation as needed. Airport operations continue as normal,” the airport added.
Unlike hopping on a train, stowing away on a commercial plane almost always ends in death due to the extreme dangers and conditions a person is exposed to inside the wheelwell, according to aviation analyst John Nance.
“A human body exposed for many hours to temperatures as low as minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit courts extensive frostbite and loss of limbs, even if the utter lack of oxygen at 35,000 feet or more doesn’t result in brain death,” Nance told ABC News.
Nance said there have been rare cases of survival, but is almost unheard of, and the risks to passengers and crew are far too dangerous to ignore.
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