Maintenance crews discovered a deceased individual inside the landing gear of an American Airlines aircraft upon its arrival in Charlotte, North Carolina, following a flight from Europe. The stowaway was found shortly after 9 a.m. on Sunday during routine maintenance.

“The person was pronounced dead on the scene by the police department’s airport division officers,” reported Breaking Aviation News & Videos. “CMPD’s Homicide Unit Detectives and Crime Scene Search responded to the scene to investigate and collect physical evidence, along with assistance from Operations Command and MEDIC,” the outlet added.

American Airlines confirmed in a statement to ABC News: “We are working with law enforcement on its investigation.” Charlotte Airport authorities expressed sadness over the incident, stating, “We are deeply saddened by this news and will support the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s (CMPD) investigation as needed. Airport operations continue as normal.”

Aviation analyst John Nance noted that stowing away on commercial planes typically results in death due to extreme conditions inside the wheelwell. A Charlotte Douglas Airport spokesperson reiterated, “We are deeply saddened by this news and will support CMPD’s investigation as needed.” The airline added: “A deceased individual was discovered inside one of the main landing gear compartments of one of our aircraft. Please direct any further questions to local law enforcement.”

CMPD confirmed the case remains active, with updates expected as more details emerge.