Grim Discovery: Stowaways Found in Aircraft Landing Gear

Authorities are investigating a grim discovery made by maintenance workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, where the body of a suspected stowaway was found in the landing gear compartment of an American Airlines flight, recently arrived from Europe.

The discovery took place Sunday morning, prompting an investigation by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, which has yet to disclose details about the individual or their cause of death. American Airlines, cooperating with law enforcement, directed inquiries to local police as the airport pledged full support for the ongoing investigation.

This chilling finding adds to a string of similar incidents. In January, JetBlue's planes at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport revealed two bodies in landing gear upon inspection. In December, a United Airlines flight discovered a stowaway in Maui, arrived from Chicago, underscoring the life-threatening stakes for those hiding in aircraft undercarriages.

(With inputs from agencies.)