Authorities have confirmed a heartbreaking discovery after a stowaway was found dead inside the landing gear compartment of an American Airlines flight that arrived in the United States. The unidentified individual was located during a routine inspection after the aircraft landed, triggering a federal investigation into how the person managed to bypass multiple layers of airport security. Officials believe the stowaway may have climbed into the landing gear before takeoff from an international destination, enduring extreme altitudes, subzero temperatures, and lack of oxygen — conditions that are nearly always fatal. Incidents like these underscore the desperation that drives individuals to take such life-threatening risks in search of a better future. The airline is cooperating fully with authorities, and the aircraft has been temporarily taken out of service as investigations continue. While rare, stowaway cases have occurred before, highlighting ongoing concerns around airport perimeter security and the human cost of global inequality.