A man found in the wheel compartment of a plane when it landed at Gatwick died after being exposed to extreme cold and a lack of oxygen, an inquest heard.
The unidentified man was found dead on June 16 2026, the inquest at the coroner’s court in Horsham heard today.
Discovery in wheel compartment
A statement from coroner’s officer Alex Jones read in court said the man was found within the landing gear compartment of an Air Arabia plane that had arrived from Tangiers, Morocco.
A ground engineer made the tragic discovery during checks to the aircraft after it landed. The man was confirmed dead once he was located, the hearing was told.
Cause of death
A post-mortem examination found the cause of death to be cardiac arrest, followed by hypoxia and hypothermia.
The coroner noted that conditions inside the wheel compartment would have been extremely cold and that there would have been a lack of oxygen. He formally opened the inquest on the basis he had “reason to believe this death was unnatural”.
Airport response and next steps
Speaking at the time of the incident, a London Gatwick spokesperson said: “London Gatwick’s emergency services attended an Air Arabia aircraft just after 11.30am on Tuesday June 16 2026 when an incident was identified upon arrival.
“As Sussex Police have confirmed, a body was found. Our teams subsequently supported Sussex Police and the coroner. Our thoughts are with everyone affected.”
The inquest has been adjourned until February 24 2027.
