Wheel well tragedy: Two deceased found in JetBlue plane after arrival in Florida

On the night of January 6, two individuals were found dead in the wheel well of a JetBlue aircraft after it arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport from New York City, the airline confirmed on January 7.

The discovery was made during a post-flight maintenance inspection, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

JetBlue has not yet released the identities of the deceased, nor have they disclosed how the individuals accessed the aircraft. "The circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation," the airline said in a statement.

The plane, which had recently completed Flight 1801 from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, landed in Fort Lauderdale at 11:10 PM. Authorities from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and medical examiners arrived at JetBlue's terminal shortly thereafter to conduct an investigation, according to CNN affiliate WFOR.

Despite the ongoing investigation, airport operations were not affected. "The investigation is not impacting operations at the airport," said Arlene Satchell, spokesperson for the Broward County Aviation Department.

This tragic incident follows a similar occurrence two weeks ago, when a body was discovered in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Maui. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warns that the wheel well is a common hiding spot for stowaways, though the space is dangerously small when the landing gear is retracted.

"The landing gear compartment is often used by stowaways who do not realize how little space is available when the gear is retracted," said an FAA spokesperson. "Those who manage to survive the initial flight often suffer from lack of oxygen or freezing at cruising altitude."

According to a 2011 FAA report, nearly 80% of people who attempt to fly in the wheel well or other external compartments of an aircraft do not survive.

The tragedy has brought renewed attention to airport security, especially following other stowaway incidents during the busy holiday travel period. Notably, a woman boarded a Delta Airlines flight during Thanksgiving week and successfully made it from New York to Paris before being arrested. In another case, a stowaway was discovered on a Delta flight departing from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport just before takeoff to Honolulu.

By Aghakazim Guliyev