US authorities are investigating the discovery of two bodies found in the wheel well of a JetBlue plane that landed in Florida from New York. The grim find occurred during a routine post-flight inspection at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport on Monday night, as reported by the airline (The Guardian).

JetBlue officials confirmed that both individuals were declared dead at the scene and stated, “This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred.” Investigation teams have not yet identified the victims or clarified how they accessed the aircraft.

This incident marks the second case in a month involving bodies found in aircraft wheel wells. Just weeks earlier, a body was discovered in a United Airlines plane after it landed in Maui, having taken off from Chicago. Similar to the JetBlue case, that individual’s identity also remains unknown (Al Jazeera).

Authorities stress the extreme dangers associated with stowing away in wheel wells, where fatalities are alarmingly common. An FAA report indicated an 80 percent fatality rate among individuals attempting such perilous journeys, with causes of death stemming from numerous hazardous conditions, including low oxygen levels and exposure to freezing temperatures at high altitudes.

While most do not survive, there have been rare exceptions of individuals succeeding in this dangerous feat, underscoring the fragile nature of these situations. As investigations continue, authorities aim to uncover the details surrounding these tragic occurrences and how individuals ended up in such perilous conditions.