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Man's Cause of Death After Body Found in Plane Landing Gear at Gatwick
A post-mortem found cardiac arrest, hypoxia and hypothermia, and investigators are still working to identify the man.
On Tuesday, Hove Area Coroner Joseph Turner opened an inquest into an unidentified man found dead in the wheel compartment of an Air Arabia flight that arrived at London Gatwick Airport from Tangier on June 16, 2026.
Discovery occurred at Stand 51 after a ground engineer noticed a packing strip hanging from the landing gear; the coroner noted the victim suffered "extremely cold" conditions and lack of oxygen, describing the death as unnatural.
Post-Mortem examination determined the cause of death was cardiac arrest, followed by hypoxia and hypothermia; investigations continue as no details regarding the man's name, address, or occupation have been established.
The inquest has been adjourned until February 24, 2027, to allow further inquiries, with Sussex Police and Gatwick officials supporting the coroner's process.
Similar incidents have occurred in recent years; in 2022, a man was found in the undercarriage of a Tui flight at Gatwick after traveling from Gambia, alongside other stowaway incidents involving Heathrow-bound aircraft.
It happened on an Air Arabia flight from Morocco and landed in London.A forensic team seeks to determine the circumstances behind the devastating finding.