[Sportschosun Reporter Jang Jong-ho] A man's body was found inside the landing gear of an international passenger plane, shocking onlookers.
According to local media, including the Daily Mail, the body was discovered inside the landing gear of an Air Arabia passenger plane that departed Morocco at around 11:45 a.m. local time on the 16th and arrived at London Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom. The flight reportedly lasted about three hours.
In a statement, the airport said, "After the body was found, airport staff are cooperating with police and the coroner's investigation."
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased or the circumstances of death. However, local reports suggest the man may have tried to enter the country illegally by hiding in the landing gear compartment.
The space inside an aircraft's landing gear is known to be extremely dangerous for survival, as air pressure is low, oxygen is scarce, and outside temperatures can drop to dozens of degrees below zero during flight.
A similar incident occurred at Gatwick Airport in 2022. At the time, a man's body was found inside the landing gear of a TUI Airways aircraft that had flown from the Republic of The Gambia to the United Kingdom.
According to the coroner's findings released in 2024, the victim was believed to be in his 20s or 30s and was found trapped in the aircraft's wheel well. He was not carrying any identification, and investigators believe he died of hypothermia caused by a drop in body temperature.
Reporter Jang Jong-ho bellho@sportschosun.com
