Two men were found dead inside the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue airplane in South Florida after a flight arrived from New York City late Monday, according to the airline.
The discovery was made at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport during the "routine post-flight maintenance inspection," the company said. "At this time, the identities of the individuals and the circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation."
Deputies with the Broward County Sheriff's Office responded at around 11:30 p.m. and pronounced both people dead at the scene. The identities of the two people were unknown, but BSO spokesperson Carey Codd said the deceased were men.
"It certainly is a heartbreaking and very tragic situation," Codd told reporters at a news conference Tuesday morning.
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The Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office will perform autopsies to determine the causes of death, authorities said.
The aircraft had most recently operated flight 1801 from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to JetBlue.
The aircraft originated in Kingston, Jamaica, before stopping at JFK, Salt Lake City International Airport, JFK again and then Fort Lauderdale, asenior government official told NBC News.
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It is unclear where the people got onto the aircraft, but that remains under investigation.
BSO deputies and medical examiners could be seen outside the airport investigating the deaths.
The airport said there are no impacts to operations due to the incident.
Cod said the investigation was "active and ongoing," and asked anyone with information to come forward.
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.
