Body of a man found hidden in landing gear of Air Arabia flight

Ground crews have made a grim discovery shortly after a plane landed at a London airport, finding the body of a man the landing gear. The shocking find was reported to be in the undercarriage of an Air Arabia flight that arrived at London’s Gatwick Airport (LGW/EGKK) from Tangier, Morocco (TNG/GMTT), around 11:45 a.m. local time on Tuesday.

The man is believed to have hidden in the undercarriage bay prior to departure from Tangier Battouta International Airport, exposing himself to the unforgiving conditions of high-altitude flight. Unpressurized landing gear compartments subject individuals to sub-zero temperatures, severe hypoxia, and the mechanical dangers of retracting gear, often resulting in fatal outcomes. Air Arabia Maroc confirmed that authorities were notified immediately, while the return flight experienced minor delays. Gatwick Airport officials emphasized their emergency response, underscoring the shock experienced by ground crews who encountered the remains. Such stowaway attempts underscore desperate measures sometimes taken amid migration pressures, though they rarely succeed due to the physiological extremes at cruising altitudes.

An Air Arabia spokesperson told reporters that “an incident was identified upon the arrival of Air Arabia Maroc Flight 3O102 from Tangier to London Gatwick on the 16th of June 2026, and the relevant authorities were immediately notified”.

It is not the first incident of its kind in London though, with several other reported deaths of stowaways in recent years.

• A man died in December 2022 in a similar incident at Gatwick Airport when he was discovered in the undercarriage of a Tui Flight from Gambia.
• In 2019 a man fell from a Kenya Airways plane’s landing gear as it approached Heathrow Airport. His body was found several kilometres away in a home garden.
• Another man also fell to his death in 2015 after travelling in the undercarriage of a plane from Johannesburg. His body was found in the carpark of a shop in Southwest London.
• It was reported at the time that a South African man on the same flight miraculously survived the 11-hour flight by clinging to the landing gear on the plane.

Aircraft Information:
Airline: Air Arabia Maroc
Code: 3O/MAC
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Registration: CN-NMH
Serial Number: 5143
Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-5B4/P
First Flew: 2nd May 2012
Age: 14 years

Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident.