Stowaway found dead in plane’s landing gear after flight from Europe

Police in Charlotte, North Carolina, are investigating the death of a stowaway found Sunday in the landing gear of an American Airlines plane.

The aircraft had arrived from Europe and was undergoing maintenance when workers discovered the body, according to police. The person’s identity and origin remain unknown, and they were pronounced dead at the scene.

American Airlines said it is cooperating with law enforcement, while Charlotte Douglas International Airport called the case a “tragic discovery” and said operations were unaffected.

Hiding in a plane’s wheel well is extremely dangerous but remains the most common method used by stowaways attempting to cross borders.

Recent incidents have raised concerns about airline security. Just last week, a 13‑year‑old Afghan boy survived after hiding in the wheel well of a flight from Kabul to Delhi. Earlier this year, two bodies were found on a JetBlue flight from New York to Florida, and another body was discovered in the wheel bay of a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Hawaii.