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Authorities in Florida have confirmed an investigation is underway after two bodies were discovered in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue plane at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
What’s the deal: According to authorities, the discovery occurred after JetBlue Flight 1801 landed at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport following its journey from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport late Monday night. The flight had a multi-stop itinerary, beginning in Kingston, Jamaica, and making stops at Salt Lake City International Airport and JFK twice before its final leg to Florida.
The bodies were found during a routine post-flight inspection of the plane’s landing gear compartment, a standard maintenance check performed upon arrival. Paramedics were immediately called to the scene and pronounced both individuals dead. Investigators are now working to determine how the individuals accessed the aircraft and whether they had been inside the compartment for the entire duration of the flight.
In a brief statement, a spokeswoman for JetBlue said, “The circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation. This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred.”
This all comes nearly a week after a body was discovered in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight that landed in Maui, Hawaii, on December 24. The flight had originated from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, and the body was found during a post-flight inspection upon arrival. Authorities confirmed that the area where the body was located is only accessible from outside the aircraft, raising serious questions about security breaches and how the individual managed to access the plane.
