Stowaway Found Dead in Wheel Well of American Airlines Jet, Police Say
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department treats the case as a homicide and investigates how the stowaway accessed the plane’s landing gear, with FAA noting over 77% of such attempts are fatal.
- Sunday morning at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, maintenance workers discovered a deceased stowaway in an American Airlines plane's landing gear during routine checks around 9 a.m.
- The aircraft, identified as a 24-year-old Boeing 777-200ER, arrived from Frankfurt Airport at 1:39 PM on Friday and was parked nearly two days before discovery.
- At the 5000 block of Hangar Road, investigators processed the scene as CMPD airport-division officers pronounced the unidentified individual dead, with CMPD's Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Search leading the investigation.
- Operations at CLT continued as normal, and Charlotte Douglas International Airport expressed sorrow while supporting the ongoing police investigation.
- This case follows other recent discoveries as Federal Aviation Administration data show stowaway attempts are over 75% fatal due to extreme cold and lack of oxygen at 35,000 feet.
150 Articles
150 Articles
American Airlines' surprise new 'passenger' was discovered in the landing gear, dead on arrival
Airplane maintenance workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina discovered a deceased suspected stowaway in the landing gear compartment of an American Airlines flight that had just arrived from Europe. The horrifying discovery was made as the maintenance crews were performing work on the aircraft. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) has officially taken over the scene and is now conducting a death invest…
Stowaway found dead in international flight’s landing gear compartment
A stowaway was found dead in an international flight’s landing gear compartment in North Carolina, local authorities and American Airlines said Sunday. “Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Homicide Unit are conducting a death investigation in the 5000 block of Hangar Road in the Airport Division,” the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a press release. …
Police suspect that the victim would be trying to enter the United States clandestinely through flight from a European country. A week ago, a similar case had a different outcome.
Stowaway found dead in wheel well of American Airlines jet, police say
A stowaway was discovered deceased in the wheel well of an American Airlines plane at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Detectives are investigating the rare incident of stowaways sneaking onto planes, with recent cases resulting in fatalities or rare survival stories.
Stowaway found dead in wheel well of American Airlines jet | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
A stowaway was found dead in the wheel well of an American Airlines plane at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina on Sunday after it arrived from Europe, police said.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 70% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium