US: 2 Found Dead In JetBlue Plane’s Landing Gear Compartment In Florida Airport
US: Two bodies were found in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue Airways plane upon its arrival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The airline and authorities are investigating the circumstances.
US: Two bodies were discovered in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue Airways plane following its arrival at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in the United States' Florida on Monday night. The airline revealed the information in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the circumstances of the incident remain under investigation.
JetBlue stated that the bodies were found during a "routine post-flight maintenance inspection" of the Airbus A320-232, which had operated as Flight 1801 from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport, ABC News reported. The aircraft landed at 11:03 p.m. on Monday, according to Flightradar24, an aircraft tracker.
“At this time, the identities of the individuals and the circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation,” the airline said, as quoted by ABC News. “This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred.”
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JetBlue Plane Deaths: Autopsies To Acertain Cause Of Death As Probe Begins
Broward County Sheriff’s Office crime and homicide detectives, along with the Medical Examiner's Office, are investigating the case, CBC News reported. Autopsies will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.
According to Kris Van Cleave, CBS News’ senior transportation correspondent, the wheel well is not typically pressurised or heated, and temperatures at cruising altitude—approximately 38,000 feet—are well below freezing. He noted that individuals attempting to stow away in this manner rarely survive.
The aircraft’s journey included several flights prior to the incident. It began the day in Kingston, Jamaica, flew to New York’s JFK Airport, then to Salt Lake City, Utah, before returning to JFK and ultimately landing in Fort Lauderdale.
JetBlue stated that it is protocol for pilots to conduct walk-around inspections of aircraft before each flight, which include checks of the wheel wells. However, Van Cleave suggested that the individuals may not have been immediately visible during these checks.
A similar incident occurred recently in Hawaii, where a body was found in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight from Chicago upon landing in Maui.
Airport officials confirmed that operations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport were not impacted by the discovery, as per ABC News.
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