Utah News keelee-mccain January 8, 2025 0 Comments

JetBlue Plane with Two Bodies in Landing Gear Made Stop in Utah

Utah – Coroners and sheriff’s deputies responded to a JetBlue aircraft at the Fort Lauderdale airport late Monday after two bodies were discovered in the plane’s landing gear compartment.

JetBlue confirmed the tragic discovery in a statement issued to the Deseret News on Tuesday, stating that the two deceased individuals were found during a routine inspection. “This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred,” the airline said in their release.

The circumstances surrounding how the two individuals ended up in the landing gear compartment remain unclear, and an investigation is currently underway.

The flight had originated at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport at 8:20 p.m., arriving in Florida at 11:03 p.m., according to CBS. The two men were pronounced dead at the scene. It is unknown how long they had been in the compartment.

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The plane had made previous stops, including Kingston, Jamaica, before its final flight to Florida. Jamaican media outlets have speculated that the deceased may have been Jamaican nationals, though this has not been confirmed by authorities.

Stowaways in landing gear compartments are not uncommon, though it is a perilous and often deadly way to attempt to sneak onto an aircraft. People hiding in the landing gear face several dangers, including falling from the plane during takeoff or landing, being crushed by the landing gear, or succumbing to severe temperatures, pressure changes, and a lack of oxygen. According to The New York Times, many stowaways perish from hypothermia, and over 77% of those who attempt to stowaway in landing gear compartments die.

This incident follows a similar case in Hawaii, where a body was discovered in the wheel well of a United Airlines aircraft that had flown in from Chicago on December 24.

Authorities continue their investigation to determine how these two individuals ended up in the plane’s landing gear compartment.

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keelee-mccain

Keelee McCain is a junior at Weber High School. This is her second year on staff, this year as Assistant to the Chief. She does have a life (probably) but she can't think of anything to write in here, so she's probably just going to ramble now. She has an orange cat who she likes better than any human. If you see her being quiet or not sitting on top of a desk, there is something very wrong. In her free time she enjoys harassing her favorite teachers and sleeping. Her life plans include making it through high school and leaving. Happy lifeing.