A mystery man found dead in the undercarriage of a Tui plane died from hypothermia, a coroner has said. The man, who has never been identified, was found at Gatwick airport.
The unknown man's body was found frozen and unable to be moved in the right hand wheel well of an inbound plane from Banjul, in The Gambia, an inquest was told. The hearing was told how the flight arrived into Gatwick's north terminal at around 3.30am on December 7 2022.
At around 4am workers discovered the man's body. A post-mortem examination by Dr Ceri Morgan found it was highly likely the man died from hypothermia.
He was wearing a dark-coloured fleece top and tracksuit type bottoms, no socks and plastic-style sandals. No ID was found in his possession.
Despite a major effort, both internationally and in the UK, the man has never been identified. A police report said a statement from the pilot detailed checks done of the aircraft before taking off from The Gambia, and that there was nothing "out of the ordinary".
Ground crews were with the aeroplane, and the pilot noted it was dark. Joanne Andrews, area coroner for West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, reached a narrative conclusion over the man's death, with evidence suggesting he got into the aircraft before take-off in The Gambia.
The coroner said: "It's sad he's not been able to be identified and his family advised. (There is) no evidence how he came to be on the plane, but he sadly died of hypothermia."
An e-fit was previously issued by Sussex Police of the man who is thought to have been in his 20s or 30s. Information has been shared with authorities in the west African country but with no success.
The coroner closed the inquest. However she said it could be re-opened if more information comes to light.
