A recent incident on a JetBlue plane at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has raised questions about how someone can gain access to an airplane’s wheel well. Two bodies were found in the wheel well after a flight from New York.
Aviation attorney Willard Shepard, who is familiar with aircraft security, believes that this breach of security should never happen. He stated that the chances of a stowaway surviving in the air once the wheels retract are 20%.
Shepard highlighted several risks, including being crushed by landing gear, falling out when the gear door opens, and exposure to extreme cold and lack of oxygen.
In response to the incident, JetBlue described it as “heartbreaking.” The Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office is currently conducting autopsies to determine the identities of those found in the wheel well.
Source: https://www.local10.com/news/local/2025/01/07/aviation-expert-weighs-in-on-stowaway-survival-after-bodies-found-on-jetblue-flight-at-fll