Suspected African Stowaway Falls To His Death From Aircraft Flying Over London

A man’s body was found in a London garden after police believe he fell to his death from the landing gear of a plane flying overhead.

The suspected stowaway plummeted just feet away from a Clapham resident in south London who had been sunbathing in the garden, a neighbor told the BBC. He was “very shaken,” said the neighbor.

A bag, water and some food were found in the landing gear compartment on a Kenya Airways jet after it landed at Heathrow Airport on Sunday, according to a statement from the London police. The nine-hour flight originated in Nairobi.

The man has not yet been identified. An autopsy is being conducted.

“It is unfortunate that a person has lost his life by stowing aboard one of our aircraft and we express our condolences,” said a statement from the airline. 

“Kenya Airways is working closely with the relevant authorities in Nairobi and London as they fully investigate this case.”

Four years ago, a stowaway was found dead on a Richmond roof and another was found in critical condition in the landing gear of a British Airways flight from Johannesburg. 

A teenager reportedly survived 12 hours in the wheel well of a plane between Lagos and London in 2017.