Authorities have reported the discovery of two bodies within the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue aircraft at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
The remains were located late Monday night during a routine post-flight maintenance inspection, according to a statement from JetBlue. The aircraft had arrived at the South Florida airport shortly after 11 pm from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
Investigations into the identities of the individuals and the circumstances surrounding their access to the aircraft are ongoing, the airline confirmed.
“This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred,” JetBlue said in its statement.
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office stated on Tuesday that paramedics declared both individuals dead at the scene. The agency’s homicide and crime scene units are actively investigating, although the names of the deceased have not yet been released.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed there was no involvement of the flight crew or the aircraft’s operation in the incident. The agency is not investigating at this time.
This marks the second incident in recent weeks involving bodies discovered in the wheel well of an aircraft. In late December, a body was found in the landing gear of a United Airlines plane that had arrived in Maui from Chicago.
The aviation sector has also faced incidents involving unauthorised passengers. In November, a Russian national boarded a Paris-bound Delta Air Lines flight from New York without a ticket and was arrested upon arrival in France.
Frances Ibiefo
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