A body found on a flight from Tangier: how he died is known, but not who he was
Two months after a body was discovered in the landing gear of a plane that had departed from Tangier, British justice has revealed the cause of death. The man succumbed to extreme cold and a lack of oxygen, but his identity remains unknown.
Coroner Joseph Turner officially opened the inquiry into the man’s death on Tuesday, 25 August, before the coroner’s court in Horsham, West Sussex. The hearing revealed the findings of the forensic examination.
The autopsy concluded that he had suffered cardiac arrest associated with hypoxia, caused by a lack of oxygen, and hypothermia. The coroner recalled that conditions in the wheel compartment were extremely cold and that the air there was severely thin during the flight, reports The Independent.
The body was discovered on 16 June by a ground technician inspecting an Air Arabia aircraft that had arrived at London Gatwick Airport from Tangier. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
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The coroner considered that there were sufficient grounds to regard the death as “unnatural”. This classification does not necessarily mean that a crime was committed: it allows further investigations into the circumstances that led the man to end up in the landing gear.
Still no identity two months later
Despite searches carried out since June, the British authorities still know neither the victim’s name, age nor nationality.
The plane’s arrival from Tangier suggests that the man may have gained access to the compartment before takeoff, but this hypothesis has not been officially confirmed. Investigators must still determine where and how he managed to reach the aircraft and conceal himself in this area, which is inaccessible from the cabin.
Sussex Police is continuing its investigation with the airport authorities and the coroner. The case also raises questions about security around aircraft at Tangier Airport.
This type of attempt is almost always fatal. In 2019, a Guinean man was found dead after travelling 3,800 kilometres in the landing gear of a Royal Air Maroc aircraft. Stowaways risk being crushed when the wheels retract, losing consciousness due to a lack of oxygen, or dying of hypothermia.
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The British inquiry has been adjourned until February 2027. It will notably attempt to identify the victim and establish the circumstances in which he was able to reach the aircraft. For now, the autopsy provides an answer as to how he died, but the mystery surrounding his identity and journey remains complete.