Authorities have disclosed more information after investigating the discovery of two deceased individuals on a plane that landed in Florida recently.
The JetBlue flight left JFK Airport in New York shortly before 8pm on Monday, January 6, and touched down at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Florida, at 11:10pm, about 28 minutes behind schedule.
Upon its arrival, an airline employee inspecting the aircraft’s landing gear found two bodies inside the wheel well.
A spokesperson for JetBlue confirmed the discovery of two deceased individuals in the plane’s compartment but did not release their identities as the investigation is ongoing.
New information has now been released as the investigation progresses.
At 11:26pm, someone reported to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, “A gate technician in the landing gear area noticed two males who appear to be Signal 7, advised they are not moving in the landing gear area,” according to Broadcastify. Signal 7 is police code for a deceased person.
Carey Codd from the Sheriff’s Office informed CNN, “The individuals who [are] deceased are both males. Beyond that, their identities at this time are unknown.”
According to a law enforcement official, the bodies were severely decomposed, which may suggest the men had been on board for an extended period or possibly multiple flights.
Codd stated, “The Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office will perform autopsies to determine the causes of death of both individuals.”
The Airbus A320 had a busy schedule on Monday, as per FlightAware data. It took off from Kingston, Jamaica, at 1:10am, reaching JFK over three and a half hours later.
The jet then traveled to Salt Lake City International, landing at 10:34am after a five-hour flight, and returned to JFK before ending the day in Florida.
The Federal Aviation Administration cautions that the landing gear compartment is perilous because many are unaware of how tight the space becomes when the wheels retract.
Stowaways risk losing consciousness due to lack of oxygen or may die from being crushed or freezing when the jet ascends to cruising altitude.
A 2011 FAA report indicated that 80 percent of individuals who enter an aircraft’s external compartment do not survive.
The Transportation Security Administration is investigating the deaths with assistance from local law enforcement and the FAA, although the National Transportation Safety Board is not involved, citing that “it appears the incident had no involvement of the flight crew or operation of the airplane.”
JetBlue also stated, “This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred.”