A man has been found dead inside a plane's wheel compartment at Gatwick Airport in England.
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The unidentified man was discovered on Tuesday, June 16, in the landing gear of an Air Arabia aircraft that had traveled from Tangier, Morocco.
A coroner has since revealed that the man died after facing extreme cold and a severe lack of oxygen during the journey.
Plane Death Discovered During Checks at Gatwick Airport
A ground engineer reportedly made the shocking discovery while carrying out routine post-landing checks on the aircraft.
The engineer noticed a packing strap hanging from the wheel compartment before discovering the man's body inside.
"London Gatwick's emergency services attended an Air Arabia aircraft just after 11.30 BST on 16 June when an incident was identified upon arrival," a spokesperson for the airport said in a statement.
"As Sussex Police have confirmed, a body was found. Our teams subsequently supported Sussex Police and the coroner. Our thoughts are with everyone affected."
Two months after the discovery, Horsham Coroner's Court opened an official inquest into the man's death on August 25.
Inquest Reveals Cause of Gatwick Airport Death
A post-mortem examination determined that several factors contributed to the man's death. Including cardiac arrest, hypoxia, which occurs when the body does not receive enough oxygen, and hypothermia.
Joseph Turner, a coroner for the West Sussex, Brighton and Hove area, described the death as "unnatural".
He explained that the wheel compartment where authorities found the man would likely have exposed him to extremely cold temperatures and dangerously low oxygen levels.
The Air Arabia Airbus A320 had docked at Stand 51 at Gatwick Airport. Ground staff discovered the man and immediately alerted emergency services.
Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
Despite the investigation, authorities have yet to establish even the most basic details about the man's identity.
The hearing heard that officials have not determined his name, date of birth, place of birth, address, occupation or marital status.
Authorities shared no further details about the circumstances surrounding how the man entered the aircraft's wheel compartment.
The inquest remains ongoing and is scheduled to resume on February 24, 2027.
