2 found dead in JetBlue landing gear compartment after flight, airline says
Two people were found dead in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue plane after it landed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the airline said in a statement on Tuesday.
The bodies were discovered Monday evening during a "routine post-flight maintenance inspection" at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the airline said.
The Broward County Sheriff's Office is investigating the deaths.
Both of the individuals were men, though their identities have not yet been confirmed, Carey Codd, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, said.
"Detectives will be trying to research and investigate all aspects of this situation -- when the individuals might have gotten on the plane, how long they've been on the plane -- but at this point, this investigation is certainly active and ongoing and in its infancy," Codd said during a press briefing Tuesday afternoon.
The Broward County Medical Examiner's Office will perform autopsies to determine the cause and manner of their deaths, Codd said.
JetBlue said in a statement that the "circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation."
"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.
The Transportation Security Administration said it is working closely with the airline, airport, Federal Aviation Administration and law enforcement officials regarding the incident.
The aircraft had flown in from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport, operating as flight 1801, JetBlue said. The Airbus A320-232 landed at 11:03 p.m. on Monday, according to Flightradar24, an aircraft tracker.
Prior to taking off from JFK, the plane made multiple flights on Monday. According to FlightRadar24 data, the aircraft took off from Kingston, Jamaica, and landed at JFK early Monday. Then, it flew from JFK to Salt Lake City before returning to JFK Monday evening, according to FlightRadar24.
Airport officials in Fort Lauderdale told ABC there were no impacts to operations due to the incident.
Arlene Satchell, a spokesperson for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, said such an incident has not occurred at the airport in the six years she's worked there.
"But clearly, it's been in the news recently at other airports that this has happened," Satchell said during the press briefing.
Last month, a dead body was discovered in the wheel well of an airplane upon arrival at Kahului Airport in Maui, Hawaii, police said. The United Airlines flight had departed Chicago.
United said following the incident that it was unclear how and when the unidentified individual accessed the wheel well.
