Man died of extreme cold in plane landing gear
The inquest hears the body was discovered in an Air Arabia flight which had arrived from Morocco.
An inquest has revealed that an unidentified man discovered in the wheel well of an aircraft at Gatwick Airport succumbed to extreme cold and oxygen deprivation.
Coroner Joseph Turner initiated the inquest at Horsham Coroner's Court on Tuesday to investigate the death of the man, whose identity is still unknown.
The court was informed that the man's body was found in the landing gear bay of an Air Arabia flight that had arrived from Tangier, Morocco, on June 16.
A ground engineer discovered the man during routine aircraft inspections, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A post-mortem examination determined that the man's death resulted from cardiac arrest, hypoxia (insufficient oxygen), and hypothermia, according to the court.
Turner, the coroner for West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, stated that the conditions within the aircraft's wheel compartment would have been exceptionally cold with low oxygen levels.
He indicated that he had grounds to believe the death was "unnatural."
Following the incident, a spokesperson for Gatwick Airport stated: "London Gatwick's emergency services responded to an Air Arabia aircraft shortly after 11:30 BST on June 16 when an incident was identified upon arrival.
"As Sussex Police have confirmed, a body was found. Our teams subsequently supported officers and the coroner. Our thoughts are with everyone affected."
The inquest has been postponed until February 24, 2027.