The bodies of two people were discovered in the landing gear of a JetBlue plane Monday night at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
According to a report from CBS News, JetBlue issued a statement saying the bodies were discovered while technicians carried out routine checks on the plane, which had recently landed in Florida from New York City’s JFK International Airport. Officials are not sure exactly how the two individuals managed to gain access to the wheel well.
“The circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation,” JetBlue said. “This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred.”
The report noted that according to the Transportation Security Administration, the plane had begun in Kingston, Jamaica, before flying to New York City, then to Salt Lake City, Utah. It then flew back to New York City before taking off again to Florida.
According to the National Institute for Health, once an aircraft reaches a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet, the air temperature outside of the cabin is around -40 Celsius. According to CBS News, the cruising altitude for the flight from New York to Fort Lauderdale was even higher at 38,000 feet and lasted for approximately two hours and 43 minutes.
The Jamaica Observer said the two individuals are believed to be Jamaican nationals.
However, Broward Sheriff’s Office said the deceased individuals were both males and are yet to be identified.
“Around 11:30 pm last night … Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies here are the aviation airport district, responded to a report of two individuals in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue aircraft,” a Broward Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said, “Broward Sheriff’s homicide unit and crime scene units, also responded to investigate the circumstances of this incident. That investigation is currently active and ongoing. Broward County Medical Examiner’s office will perform autopsies on the deceased individuals to try and determine the cause and manner of their deaths.”
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