Tragic Discovery: Stowaway Found in Landing Gear of American Airlines 777 in Charlotte
ID 66225658 | American Airlines 777 © Allan Clegg | Dreamstime.com
American Airlines mechanics uncovered a deceased stowaway inside the main landing gear bay of a Boeing 777-200ER during routine maintenance at the carrier’s hangar at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) on Sunday morning, September 28, 2025. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department homicide detectives responded and pronounced the individual dead at the scene while opening a formal investigation.
The aircraft and recent movements
The aircraft has been identified as N794AA, a 24-year-old 777-200ER. According to recent operational history referenced by aviation trackers:
-
Sep 26: Arrived CLT from Frankfurt (FRA) around 1:39 p.m. and remained parked until maintenance began Sunday morning.
-
Prior sector: Operated Madrid (MAD) ↔ U.S. flying earlier in the week.
-
Sep 22: Ferried San Salvador (SAL) → Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) after spending roughly six weeks at the Aeroman MRO facility for heavy maintenance.
Because landing-gear stowaways originating in EU hubs are exceedingly rare, investigators will likely scrutinize the San Salvador ferry and subsequent rotations. If the person boarded the wheel well in El Salvador, they may have remained undiscovered for multiple flights—an agonizing possibility that underscores how hidden these bays can be and how infrequently they’re accessed between checks.
Why wheel-well stowaways almost never survive
Stowing away in the landing gear is extraordinarily lethal:
-
Crush & mechanical hazards: Gear retraction leaves inches of clearance; moving components can fatally injure a person within seconds of takeoff.
-
Hypoxia: At cruising altitudes, cabin air is pressurized, but wheel wells are not. Oxygen partial pressure plummets, causing loss of consciousness within minutes.
-
Hypothermia: Ambient temperatures near −40°C to −60°C at altitude rapidly overwhelm the body.
-
Re-extension risk: Turbulence and gear cycling can dislodge a person; fatalities on approach from falls are well-documented.
Survivors are exceptionally rare and typically occur on short, lower-altitude flights or when a person remains in a semi-pressurized area by chance.
How a stowaway could board a widebody
Even at secure airports, there are windows of vulnerability:
-
Maintenance & remote stands: Widebodies in heavy check often sit on remote aprons with frequent vehicle movements, scaffolding, and open access panels—more visual clutter and more places to hide.
-
Perimeter breaches: Large airfields depend on fences, cameras, patrols, and access control. A single gap or tailgating event can be enough.
-
Night operations: Reduced visibility lowers the chance of detection.
A 777’s gear bay is high off the ground; getting inside often requires ground equipment (stairs, truck beds, tires, tug frames) or climbing gear.
Likely investigative threads
Authorities will coordinate across agencies to determine facts and tighten procedures:
-
Timeline reconstruction: Exact sequence of sectors since leaving SAL, parking positions, and any gear-bay access events.
-
Forensics: Attempt to establish identity, time of death, and whether injuries occurred during retraction/flight/landing.
-
Security review: Badge logs, CCTV, vehicle gate records, perimeter alarms at SAL, DFW, MAD, FRA, and CLT.
-
Maintenance protocols: Confirmation of gear-bay inspections at release from heavy check and any interim ground-turn checks.
Human reality behind the headlines
People who attempt this are rarely thrill-seekers; they’re often desperate, fleeing danger, poverty, or seeking reunification. Whatever the backstory, a person lost their life in harrowing circumstances. If and when authorities can identify the individual, next-of-kin notification and repatriation will follow.
What airlines and airports typically do next
-
Immediate inspections: Airlines often direct targeted wheel-well checks on similarly routed aircraft for a short period.
-
Joint audits: Airport operators, ground handlers, and national authorities review perimeter integrity and apron access controls.
-
Briefings & training: Refreshers for maintenance and ramp staff on see-something/say-something and pre-departure exterior scans.
Bottom line
A stowaway was found deceased in the landing gear of an American Airlines 777 during maintenance in Charlotte. Given the aircraft’s recent ferry from San Salvador after a prolonged MRO visit, investigators will examine whether the person entered the bay days earlier, tragically remaining undetected through multiple flights. It’s a sobering reminder of both the desperation that drives such attempts and the limits of aviation security around complex, sprawling airside environments.
