Two bodies were found inside the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue aircraft shortly after it landed at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Monday night. The discovery was made during a routine post-flight maintenance inspection after JetBlue Flight 1801, which had arrived from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York.
According to JetBlue, the aircraft landed at Fort Lauderdale just after 11 p.m. The identities of the deceased, who are believed to be men, have not yet been disclosed. The circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft are still under investigation, as noted by JetBlue’s spokesperson. “At this time, the identities of the individuals and the circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation,” the airline stated. “This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred.”
Authorities from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO) responded to the scene around 11:30 p.m. and pronounced both men dead. BSO is conducting the investigation with its homicide and crime scene units, with the medical examiner’s office scheduled to perform autopsies to determine the cause of death. The investigation is focusing on how the men accessed the plane's landing gear compartment, which raises questions about airport security and stowaway risks.
The circumstances of this incident are disturbing, especially as it marks the second time within the past month where bodies have been discovered in the landing gear of commercial aircraft. Just late last month, another body was found inside the wheel well of a United Airlines plane after it made its way to Maui from Chicago. This alarming trend highlights the potential dangers of unauthorized boarding practices.
Flight records reveal JetBlue Flight 1801 had previously operated flights to and from various locations, including Kingston, Jamaica, and Salt Lake City, Utah, before arriving at Fort Lauderdale. How or when the two men might have gotten onto the aircraft remains unclear. “Detectives will investigate and research all aspects of this incident, trying to figure out where the flight originated from,” commented Carey Codd, BSO spokesperson. “Their identities at this point are unknown.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed there was “no involvement of the flight crew or operation of the airplane,” indicating the situation fell outside the scope of their investigations. They did not foresee any operational impact due to the incident, as passengers had already deplaned before the discovery was made.
Stowaway incidents highlight systemic issues within the airline industry, raising significant concerns about security protocols at airports. Reports from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have noted sporadic occurrences of stowaways on flights. According to the FAA, between 1947 and February 2021, there were 129 documented stowaway attempts, with a staggering 78 percent of these attempts ending fatally.
Officials and aviation experts caution against the dangers associated with attempting to travel via aircraft as a stowaway. The conditions at high altitudes can be perilous, with risks of hypothermia, lack of oxygen, and other environmental hazards. Previous accounts have reported harrowing outcomes for stowaways who did not survive their journeys on commercial flights. Wayne Ziskal, a former American Airlines pilot, emphasized the extreme dangers associated with stowing away: “People lose consciousness because of lack of oxygen or hypothermia... it’s a very tragic thing.”
This dreadful situation serves as yet another reminder of the grave risks associated with aviation security failures. Authorities remain committed to thoroughly investigating this incident to prevent future tragedies and to understand how security measures might need to adapt to address vulnerabilities.