A body was found in the wheel well of an aircraft at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Terminal 2 on Aug. 27. The body remains unidentified and was suspected to have been dead for approximately 72 hours as authorities continue their investigation into the victim’s identity and cause of death.
Body Found During Aircraft Inspection
The Star reported that the flight arrived from Tokyo, Japan, at 6:30 a.m. At 6:55 a.m., after which an engineering staff member found the body in a decomposed state and the personnel reportedly detected a foul smell before opening the compartment.
The Star reported that the victim was wearing a white hoodie, light blue jeans, a brown leather belt, socks and black sports shoes. No injuries nor identification documents were found. The body has been sent to Serdang Hospital for a postmortem examination.
The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) Forensics Unit was deployed to the scene to investigate the discovery. The Rakyat Post confirmed that initial investigations indicated that the victim was suspected to be 17 to 25 years old and may have been dead for approximately 72 hours.
The District Police Chief of KLIA, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ravi Munusamy urged the public not to speculate and to report any information they may have. He said,
“We urge members of the public not to speculate on the incident. Those with information can contact the KLIA district police headquarters at 03-87768222,”
Previous Wheel Well Stowaway Incidents
According to CNN, there are two types of stowaway incidents. One in which the stowaway breaches perimeter fences illegally or smuggled in by someone else, and another in which they try to get in a flight without a valid ticket. In both cases, stowaway incidents are dangerous to the stowaways themselves, as they may spend several days without food, water, and proper oxygen. The BBC also reported that there is a possibility for stowaways to be crushed by landing gear, suffer from frostbite or experience hearing loss as the buildup of bodily acid and fluids causes a coma or death.
The International Group of Protection and Indemnity Associations reported that there are 770 stowaway cases between 2023 and 2024. Former TSA administrator, John Pistole, also commented that stowaway cases are exceedingly rare.
Stowaway incidents also raises concerns over airport security measures. Currently, most airports have strict security measures, such as not allowing unticketed passengers past security checkpoints, conducting thorough ID checks and scanning boarding passes at electronic gates. However, recent incidents have highlighted lapses in these measures as stowaways have managed to infiltrate the aircraft by taking incredibly risky routes outside the airplane cabin.
How can airports and airlines improve security around aircraft wheel wells to prevent similar incidents? Let us know in the comments!
