Inquest opens into death of man found in Gatwick plane's landing gear
An unidentified man was discovered on an Air Arabia flight from Tangiers, Morocco.
Incident → evidence → outcomeAn inquest has been opened into the death of an unidentified man discovered in the landing gear of an aircraft that arrived at Gatwick Airport. The man was found on an Air Arabia plane that had completed a three-hour flight from Tangiers, Morocco.
Conditions in the landing gear
The opening of the inquest heard that the man died due to cardiac arrest, hypoxia, and hypothermia. Conditions within the aircraft's landing gear compartment were described as extremely cold with a significant lack of oxygen. A ground engineer located the man after the plane had landed.
Inquest proceedings
West Sussex Brighton and Hove Area Coroner Joseph Turner formally opened the inquest on Tuesday at the coroner’s court in Horsham. The coroner stated there was reason to believe the death was unnatural, given the circumstances. A spokesperson for London Gatwick confirmed that emergency services attended the Air Arabia aircraft shortly after 11:30am on June 16, 2026, following an incident identified upon arrival. The airport's teams provided support to Sussex Police and the coroner.
The inquest has been adjourned and is scheduled to resume on February 24, 2027.
Questions this report answers
01What was the cause of death for the man found in the plane's landing gear?
A post-mortem examination indicated that the man died from cardiac arrest, followed by hypoxia and hypothermia. These conditions were likely caused by the extremely cold temperatures and lack of oxygen within the aircraft's landing gear compartment during the flight.
02When did the inquest into the man's death open and when will it resume?
The inquest was opened by West Sussex Brighton and Hove Area Coroner Joseph Turner on Tuesday at the coroner’s court in Horsham. The proceedings have been adjourned and are scheduled to resume on February 24, 2027.
03Where did the plane carrying the man in its landing gear fly from?
The man was discovered in the landing gear compartment of an Air Arabia plane that had flown from Tangiers, Morocco. The flight to Gatwick Airport lasted approximately three hours.
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