On Sept. 28, 2025, airport staff at American Airlines’ Charlotte, NC airport were doing maintenance on one of the planes that had recently landed after flying in from Europe when they discovered the body of a stowaway on the plane. Unlike with trains and cars, stowing away on a plane will most likely be met with death. One risk factor is frostbite, with temperatures reaching -60°F, or -51°C. This is only a concern if asphyxiation does not kill the individual first due to how high airplanes fly in the atmosphere, which could be up to 35,000 miles.
Upon finding the body, the airport alerted the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, and the division officers of the airport declared the stowaway dead. The airport has since released a statement about giving full cooperation with the police as the death is being investigated. They also have stated they are aware of the incident and that they “are deeply saddened by this news.”