Details of the Tragic Discovery
FORT LAUDERDALE – Broward sheriff’s deputies and a medical examiner descended on Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport overnight after bodies were found in an aircraft compartment on a JetBlue Airways plane.
JetBlue’s Official Response
JetBlue issued a statement that said two people were found dead in an aircraft’s landing gear compartment on Monday night. The bodies were found during a routine inspection after the plane landed.
Investigation in Progress
“The circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation,” JetBlue said.
Flight Details and Concerns
The carrier said the aircraft most recently operated as Flight 1801 from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. According to CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave, the Airbus A320 departed JFK on Monday night at 8:20 p.m.
Continuing Investigations
Broward Sheriff crime and homicide detectives are working to learn how the two people ended up in the wheel compartment. The county’s Medical Examiner’s Office will perform autopsies to determine what caused their deaths.
Previous Incidents
A similar incident happened over the holidays in Hawaii. A body was found in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight from Chicago when the plane landed in Maui.
About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways is headquartered in Long Island City in Queens, New York and has a field office on the property of Orlando International Airport.