Dutch authorities found a dead body underneath a plane Monday after the flight arrived in Amsterdam from Nigeria.
The body was found inside a wheel arc of the aircraft and an investigation has been launched to uncover the man’s identity and cause of death, the Independent reported.
“We are investigating the discovery of mortal remains in the landing gear of an airplane from Lagos (Nigeria),” Dutch police tweeted.
We doen onderzoek naar het aantreffen van een stoffelijk overschot in het landingsgestel van een vliegtuig, afkomstig uit Lagos (Nigeria). @KMar_PenB_SPL en forensische opsporing van de Marechaussee doen dit ter vaststelling identiteit en doodsoorzaak. pic.twitter.com/SPZnhhkMlV
— Koninklijke Marechaussee (@Marechaussee) April 19, 2021
The stowaway is believed to have died from hypothermia. “The man had holed up in the wheel arch of the plane. The low temperatures have presumably been fatal to him during the flight,” said a Royal Netherlands Marechaussee spokesperson, according to Independent. (RELATED: California Police Identify Dead Girl’s Body Found In Duffel Bag)
The plane was in the air for nearly seven hours, flying at 37,000 feet, according to Simple Flying. The man would have been subject to temperatures of approximately -70 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, the thin air would have caused someone to pass out in minutes, Simple Flying reported.
Some migrants trying to reach Europe hide underneath planes, especially in wheel arcs, the Independent reported.
In February, a 16 year-old Kenyan stowaway climbed into the landing gear bay area of a plane flying from London to Maastricht. He suffered from hypothermia but survived the flight, according to MSN.
A Maastricht Aachen Airport spokesperson said stowaways are rare and most don’t survive, MSN reported.