Stowaway Found Dead in Plane Wheel Compartment

A routine inspection at London Gatwick Airport took a horrifying turn when an airport worker noticed something dangling from an Air Arabia plane — and discovered a man’s body hidden inside the aircraft’s landing gear compartment.

The shocking discovery was made after the plane arrived from Tangier, Morocco, in June.

According to officials, a packing strap hanging from the aircraft caught a worker’s attention. When the landing gear area was checked, the unidentified man was found unresponsive inside the wheel compartment.

Emergency crews were called shortly after 11:30 a.m., but the man could not be saved.

A coroner later determined that he suffered cardiac arrest after being exposed to severe hypoxia — a dangerous lack of oxygen — and hypothermia.

Conditions inside an aircraft’s wheel well can become brutally cold at cruising altitude, while oxygen levels also plunge as the plane climbs thousands of feet into the air.

The coroner said there was “reason to believe this death was unnatural.”

The man’s identity has not been publicly released.

London Gatwick confirmed the disturbing incident in a statement.

“London Gatwick’s emergency services attended an Air Arabia aircraft just after 11:30am on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, when an incident was identified upon arrival,” the airport said.

“As Sussex Police have confirmed, a body was found. Our teams subsequently supported Sussex Police and the coroner. Our thoughts are with everyone affected.”

The gruesome discovery highlights the extreme dangers faced by people who attempt to hide inside aircraft landing gear compartments, where freezing temperatures, crushing mechanical equipment and dangerously low oxygen levels can make survival nearly impossible.