MANHATTAN — The body of a man was found stuck inside the landing gear compartment of flight from New York to Tokyo, the Associated Press reported Monday.
A mechanic found the body inside the landing gear compartment of a Delta Airways Boeing 777 after the plane landed at Narita International Airport Sunday night, the AP reported.
The man was not immediately identified, but police believe he may have been a stowaway, according to the AP.
"All we know is that he must have sneaked in just before departure, because it is impossible for him to enter the storage during flight," Japanese police official Zenjiro Watanabe said.
The man was described as 5 foot 7 inches tall with dark skin and wearing a long-sleeved plaid shirt and jeans.
The man might have died of hypothermia during the flight as temperatures in the compartment would have fallen to 58 degrees below zero, the AP reported.
Police are investigating the man's death both as an accident and as a possible crime.
"It's quite bizarre," Watanabe said. "I've never handled a case like this before."
