Particle.news
Download on the App Store
23 ARTICLES
·
1h ago

Stowaway Found Dead in American Airlines Jet’s Landing Gear at Charlotte as Homicide Probe Begins

Investigators are working to determine where the person boarded.

American Airlines planes sit at gate at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday.
An American Airlines passenger plane is parked at a gate at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Arlington, Virginia on August 24.
CHARLOTTE, NC - JUNE 20: View of American Airlines planes as its customers were stranded at Charlotte Airport after American Airlines cut 1 percent of its flights to alleviate pressure on operations due to labor shortage and increased travel on June 20, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Credit: mpi34/MediaPunch /IPX

Overview

  • Maintenance crews discovered the body around 9 a.m. Sunday during servicing at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and CMPD officers pronounced the person dead at the scene.
  • CMPD’s Homicide Unit opened an active investigation, with Crime Scene Search and MEDIC processing the aircraft area for evidence.
  • American Airlines confirmed a deceased individual was found in a main landing gear compartment and said it is cooperating with law enforcement.
  • Airport officials said operations continue normally, and authorities have not released the person’s identity or origin.
  • Aviation-tracking reports named the aircraft as a Boeing 777-200ER that arrived from Frankfurt on Sept. 26, with prior movement from San Salvador on Sept. 22, though the point of boarding remains unconfirmed.