The grim discovery of a body in the landing gear of an MD-11 freighter, registered to Florida-based Western Global Airlines, was discovered over the weekend when the aircraft stopped in Harare, Zimbabwe, according to The Guardian and other British news sources. The deceased was believed to be a stowaway.
The Herald, Zimbabwe’s state-run newspaper, said the MD-11 was flying from Munich to Durban, South Africa. The captain had originally requested a stop in Mozambique, but was denied, so he diverted to Harare for refueling.
Ground staff made the discovery when they noticed blood dripping onto the runway, which was at first dismissed as the result of the aircraft hitting a bird. The American captain put on latex gloves and opened the hatch, at which point the body, said to be of “African appearance” with burns on his head, fell halfway out.
The aircraft was impounded at Harare International Airport Sunday. The body was taken for an autopsy and the case has been turned over to the police, said David Chawota, chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe.
The crew of four included two Americans, a South African and a Pakistani. Western Global told The Telegraph that there were also two couriers on the aircraft. Western Global Airlines is privately owned by Jim and Sunny Neff, and has a fleet of widebody aircraft used by UPS and FedEx.