During the incident, an unidentified individual reported over a police radio that a gate technician in the landing gear area had observed two males who seem to be motionless. The individual mentioned that they appeared to be “Signal 7,” which is a police radio code indicating a deceased person.
There has been speculation that the men who died in the incident are Jamaican, as the flight departed from Jamaica earlier in the day. However, there has been no official identification confirming their nationality.
Airport staff in Fort Lauderdale, Florida made a grim discovery when they found two men dead in the wheel bay of a Jet Blue aircraft. The pair had climbed into the wheel bay, but tragically did not survive the dangerous endeavor.
When the men likely climbed into the landing gear compartment in Jamaica, it is highly unlikely that they survived the plane’s first stop. The A320 took off from Kingston around 1 a.m. and flew to JFK International Airport in New York. The day the men were found, the temperature was below 30 degrees, and it would have been even colder at higher altitudes.
The plane flew from New York to Salt Lake City, Utah, around 7:30 a.m. and returned in the evening, just before 7 p.m. Finally, it made its last flight of the day from New York to Florida, where the bodies of the men were discovered near the landing gear.
The Transportation Security Administration is currently conducting an investigation into the deaths, in collaboration with local law enforcement and the Federal Aviation Administration.
JetBlue expressed its deep concern over the situation and emphasized its commitment to collaborating closely with authorities to assist in comprehending the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to officials from the National Transportation Safety Board, they have stated to CNN that they will not be conducting an investigation into the incident. The reason behind this decision is that the incident does not involve the operation of the plane or the actions of the flight staff.
Tragically, this is not the only case where stowaways have lost their lives in a landing gear compartment.
Two weeks ago, a body was discovered in the compartment of a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Maui. According to the FAA, stowaways often have unrealistic expectations about the amount of space they’ll have in the wheel bay after the landing gear is retracted. Stowaways who manage to avoid being crushed by the landing gear would then have to endure limited oxygen and the risk of freezing to death once the aircraft reaches its cruising altitude.
According to former Department of Transportation Inspector General Mary Schiavo, Cuba used to be the most common country for wheel-well stowaways, usually due to immigration or family reunification efforts. However, the risks involved in this act are severe. Survivors may experience long-term physical harm as a result of the intense noise, lack of oxygen, or extremely cold temperatures.
