This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Investigations are underway after the bodies of two people were discovered in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue aircraft on Monday evening after the flight arrived at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in
Florida
.
According to a statement issued by the airline, Flight 1801 had departed from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport earlier in the day and the deceased were located during a “routine post-flight maintenance inspection” after the aircraft had arrived in Fort Lauderdale.
Related
Deceased Person Found in Wheel Well of United Airlines Plane en Route to Hawaii on Christmas Eve
Authorities Puzzled As to How the Victim Got Into Wheel Well From Outside the Plane; Full Investigation Underway
Active Investigation Underway As Authorities Try To Determine How the Individuals Accessed the Aircraft
Authorities from the Broward County Sheriff’s Department and Medical Examiner’s Office arrived at the international airport to begin investigations with a convoy of vehicles parking in front of Terminal 3, as authorities and airport officials tried to determine how the individuals were able to access the aircraft and bypass airport security.
“At this time, the identities of the individuals and the circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation,” JetBlue said. “This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred.”
While the identities and genders of the victims have not yet been released, officials from JetBlue are working closely with authorities to get to the bottom of many unanswered questions.
Related
JetBlue Fined $2 Million For “Chronic Flight Delays”, Passengers May Reap Rewards
Some of JetBlue’s flight delays were created by the airline, leading to a first-of-its-kind penalty for the airline industry.
Tensions Mounting Throughout U.S. Airports As Stowaways Infiltrate Planes Far Too Easily
We spoke about what risks are associated with stowing away in the landing gear compartment of an aircraft in our last
article
. Now, let’s talk about the lack of security that is a growing concern among airports throughout the United States, after numerous stowaways have managed to board flights in-cabin, and in the wheel wells, bypassing airport officials and
security agents
.
In 2023, reports indicate that over 300 passengers were able to bypass security checkpoints, either unintentionally or intentionally. The majority of them, unintentionally. However, those who did manage to slip past airport security in order to stow away on aircrafts, are still able to do so, which is alarming, particularly after 9/11.
Inquiring minds would love to know how this keeps happening at airports across the United States.
This latest landing gear incident, and the first reported for the New Year, comes less than two weeks after a body was found in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight en route to Hawaii on Christmas Eve.
Stay tuned for further updates on this recent stowaway tragedy.