AdvertisementAdvertisementAmerican Airlines planes parked at Pittsburgh International Airport on Mar 31, 2020. The body of a suspected stowaway was found in the landing gear compartment of an American Airlines flight on Sep 28, 2025. (File photo: AP/Gene J Puskar)30 Sep 2025 01:19PM Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInRead a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST CHARLOTTE, North Carolina: Plane maintenance workers at a North Carolina airport found the body of a suspected stowaway in the landing gear compartment of an American Airlines flight that had recently arrived from Europe, police said.The body was found on Sunday (Sep 28) morning while the plane was undergoing maintenance at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a statement that it is investigating the death.Neither the airline nor the police have offered information about the person who died, including a possible cause of death, or said where the flight originated.The airport said it was deeply saddened by the discovery, and it will support the police investigation. American Airlines said it was working with law enforcement on its investigation and directed questions to the police.Experts believe roughly three-quarters of stowaways do not survive if they hide on a plane’s undercarriage because of the extreme cold and lack of oxygen they experience as the plane reaches cruising altitude.In January, two bodies were found in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue aircraft at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The bodies were discovered in the wheel well area during a routine post-flight inspection. The aircraft had arrived in Fort Lauderdale shortly after a flight from John F Kennedy International Airport in New York. The jet had been in both Kingston, Jamaica, and Salt Lake City, Utah, earlier that day.In December, a body was found in the wheel well of a United Airlines plane after it landed in Maui from Chicago.Dead body found in wheel well after United flight lands in HawaiiSource: AP/rlSign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST