Man’s Body Discovered in Plane's Landing Gear at Gatwick Airport After Smuggling Attempt

A STOWAWAY tragically died on a flight to the UK.

The man’s body was found in the landing gear of an Air Arabia Maroc plane on arrival at Gatwick airport.

The man’s body was found in the landing gear of an Air Arabia Maroc plane Credit: Alamy

He was understood to have smuggled himself into the jet’s undercarriage before take-off from Tangier in Morocco.

Emergency services were called when the body was found in the Airbus A320 around 11.45am on Tuesday on touchdown in the UK.

The Air Arabia low-cost return flight was delayed as a result of the grisly find.

A source said: “It’s a tragedy. The cargo team unloading the plane had a horrible shock.

“Everyone is devastated that anyone would feel so desperate they would risk their life in this way.

“There are major security concerns regarding how anyone was able to bypass security in Morocco.”

Stowaways in wheel wells face a huge risk of death during a flight.

Some are unable to cling on during take-off and landing and have fallen to their death.

Immediately after take-off, the landing gear retracts into the wheel wells, potentially crushing the stowaway.

If the unauthorised passenger escapes physical injury they still face hypothermia and hypoxia risks due to the extremely low temperatures and low atmospheric pressure at high altitude – as well as hearing damage from prolonged exposure to the dangerously high noise levels outside the cabin.

In 2019 a stowaway fell from a Kenya Airways plane’s landing gear as it approached Heathrow Airport and was found dead in a garden after landing “one metre” from a sunbather.

In September 2012, a 30-year-old man from Mozambique, Jose Matada, died after falling from the undercarriage of a flight approaching Heathrow from Angola.

He survived freezing temperatures of up to -60C for most of the 12-hour flight, an inquest heard.

But by the time he hit the ground he was “dead or nearly dead”.

In 2015, the body of a man landed on a shop in Richmond, South West London, after travelling in the undercarriage of a plane from Johannesburg.

Incredibly, a South African man survived by clinging to the landing gear on the same plane.

Casablanca-based Air Arabia Maroc told The Sun yesterday: “An incident was identified upon the arrival of Air Arabia Maroc Flight 3O102 from Tangier to London Gatwick on 16 June 2026, and the relevant authorities were immediately notified.

“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident. We remain in close coordination with the relevant authorities with regards to the investigation.”

Sussex Police told The Sun: “Police were called after the body of a man was found in the undercarriage of an aircraft at Gatwick Airport, arriving from Tangier, at about 11.45am on Tuesday, June16.

“Officers are investigating and a report will be prepared for HM Coroner.”

A London Gatwick spokesperson said: “London Gatwick’s emergency services attended an Air Arabia aircraft just after 11.30am on 16 June 2026 when an incident was identified upon arrival.

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