Two Male Bodies Found in Landing Gear of Passenger Plane Landing in Florida, USA

A total of 2 suspects, both presumed male
"Investigation underway regarding their identities"

Two bodies were found in the landing gear of a US passenger plane, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.

According to local US media including AP News and Bloomberg on the 7th (local time), the incident occurred on a passenger plane that landed at Fort Lauderdale Airport in Florida that day. Maintenance workers inspecting the plane discovered two bodies in the landing gear compartment (the structure connecting the aircraft fuselage and wheels).

A JetBlue A320 passenger aircraft with its landing gear deployed. The photo is not related to the article content. Screenshot from the nonprofit organization Virtual One World website.

The passenger plane belongs to the US low-cost airline JetBlue and is an Airbus A320 model. The aircraft departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and landed in Florida at 11 p.m. the previous night.

Both bodies were male, and their identities have not yet been revealed. After the news broke, JetBlue stated, "An investigation is underway regarding how they accessed the aircraft and their identities," adding, "We will cooperate closely with the authorities."

According to information recorded on the flight tracking website FlightAware, before flying from New York to Florida, the plane made stops in Kingston, Jamaica, and Salt Lake City, Utah. This led to speculation on social media that the deceased might be Jamaican.

However, Kamina Smith, Jamaica's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, wrote on her official X account, "There is no basis to conclude that the two bodies are Jamaican," and added, "We plan to inform the public once accurate information is confirmed in cooperation with the relevant authorities."

It is not uncommon for stowaways to secretly enter the landing gear compartment to illegally immigrate and be found dead after long flights. Last month, a body was found in the landing gear compartment of a United Airlines passenger plane that departed from Chicago and landed in Hawaii. The landing gear compartment of an aircraft becomes an environment where survival is difficult due to oxygen deprivation and rapid temperature drops at high altitudes during flight.