Authorities in Florida are investigating a grim discovery made in the landing gear of a JetBlue plane after it arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport late Monday night. Two unidentified bodies were found during a post-flight inspection following Flight 1801's arrival from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The discovery was made by a gate technician during routine maintenance. "A gate technician in the landing gear area noticed two males who appear to be Signal 7," an unidentified person reported over Broward County Sheriff's Office radio, using law enforcement code for a deceased individual. Paramedics pronounced both individuals dead at the scene.
JetBlue confirmed the incident, stating that "the identities of the individuals and the circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation." In its statement, the airline added, "This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred."
The Airbus A320 jet had a full day of operations on Monday before concluding its final leg in Fort Lauderdale. The plane began its day in Kingston, Jamaica, at 1:10 a.m., made stops in New York and Salt Lake City, and completed its schedule with the evening flight from JFK to Florida, landing at 11:10 p.m., according to FlightAware data.
The Broward County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct autopsies to determine the causes of death. Early indications suggest the two individuals may have been stowaways who entered the aircraft unnoticed. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has long warned about the dangers of hiding in a plane's landing gear bay, an area with limited oxygen, freezing temperatures, and retractable machinery. According to a 2011 FAA report, 80% of stowaways attempting such perilous journeys do not survive.
This tragic incident highlights ongoing concerns over airport security. Just two weeks ago, a body was discovered in the wheel bay of a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Maui. Similarly, recent cases at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and JFK involved stowaways attempting to board planes, raising alarm among aviation safety experts.
Mary Schiavo, a former Department of Transportation Inspector General, described the recurring incidents as a "huge security danger." Speaking to CNN, she emphasized, "These people were apparently just trying to get some place, but it could have easily been someone attempting to attack aviation."
Airport security measures typically involve rigorous pre-flight inspections to ensure no unauthorized individuals are aboard the aircraft. However, incidents like these have prompted calls for additional safeguards, including better surveillance of restricted areas and enhanced ground crew training to detect potential stowaways.
JetBlue has faced scrutiny for other operational challenges in recent months, including chronic flight delays and service cuts to certain cities following the collapse of its proposed merger with Spirit Airlines. This latest incident adds to the airline's troubles and raises questions about the adequacy of its security protocols.
