The body of a stowaway was found in the landing gear of a passenger plane from North Africa after it landed at Gatwick Airport. The man, who has not been identified, climbed into the wheel well of the Air Arabia Airbus A320 before it departed from Tangier, Morocco. The plane touched down at the UK's second busiest airport at about 11:45 am on Tuesday, June 16.
The alarm was raised after the discovery by the cargo team. A source told The Sun: 'It's a tragedy. The cargo team unloading the plane had a horrible shock. Everyone is devastated that anyone would feel so desperate they would risk their life in this way.'
Police Investigation Underway
Sussex Police said: 'Police were called after the body of a man was found in the undercarriage of an aircraft at Gatwick Airport, arriving from Tangier, at about 11:45 am on Tuesday, June 16. Officers are investigating and a report will be prepared for HM Coroner.'
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the jet departed Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport at about 6:23 am and traveled over Spain and western France before landing at Gatwick as planned. Metro has contacted Air Arabia for comment.
Dangers of Stowaway Attempts
Climbing into a plane's wheel well is extremely dangerous. According to the US Federal Aviation Administration, over 77% of people who have attempted this method have died. Risks include being crushed by the landing gear, frostbite, hypothermia, and low oxygen levels at high altitudes.
In September, a body was found in the landing gear of an American Airlines plane at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport after arriving from an unnamed European destination. In 2019, a man's body fell from a plane and landed in a garden in Clapham, south London, after falling from a flight from Nairobi, Kenya.
Since stowaway attempts are illegal, identifying victims can be challenging for detectives.
