**Tragic Stowaway Found Dead in Plane's Landing Gear** A stowaway was discovered dead in the landing gear compartment of an American Airlines aircraft at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Sunday morning. The grim find occurred around 9am as staff conducted routine maintenance on the plane, which had recently arrived from Europe. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers pronounced the individual dead at the scene. An American Airlines spokesperson confirmed that the airline is cooperating with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation. Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact them at 01-704-432-TIPS or to leave anonymous tips with Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 01-704-334-1600. This incident follows earlier tragedies involving stowaways. Earlier this year, the bodies of two teenagers were found in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue aircraft at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The flight had arrived from New York's JFK Airport, and the boys, Jeik Aniluz Lusi, 18, and Elvis Borques Castillo, 16, were identified through DNA testing. In December, a body was also discovered in the wheel well of a United Airlines plane after it landed in Maui from Chicago. JetBlue described the situation involving the teenagers as a "heartbreaking situation," highlighting the risks stowaways take in their attempts to enter various countries. The US Federal Aviation Administration estimates that only one in four stowaways survive the perilous journey, and many cases go unreported. A notable survivor, Themba Cabeka, who now goes by Justin, managed to endure an 11-hour flight from Johannesburg to London by hiding in the undercarriage of a British Airways plane in 2015. He recounted his harrowing experience, stating, "I was not far from the engine. You could feel it outside when it was rotating." Justin survived but suffered severe injuries, while his companion, Vale, tragically fell from the aircraft during the flight. Justin now resides in Liverpool, reflecting on the dangers associated with such desperate attempts to escape. The recent incidents underscore the ongoing issue of stowaways and the extreme risks they face.