2 found dead in JetBlue plane's landing gear area after flying from JFK Airport

FLORIDA - Two people were found dead on Monday evening inside a JetBlue plane's landing gear compartment after the aircraft departed from JFK Airport and landed in Florida, authorities said.

A spokesperson for the airline said in a statement that the two people were found during a routine post-flight maintenance inspection of the aircraft at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The bodies were located in the wheelwell area, the airline said in a statement to The Associated Press.

The identities of the people and how they got onto the plane are still being investigated. JetBlue said the plane had most recently operated flight 1801, which departed from JFK Airport shortly before 8 p.m., according to FlightAware.com.

"This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred," the spokesperson said. 

Paramedics declared both of them dead at the scene, the Broward County sheriff's office said Tuesday. The agency's homicide and crime scene units are investigating, it said.

It appears there was "no involvement of the flight crew or operation of the airplane," the National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement. The agency was not investigating, it said.

In a statement to FOX 5 NY, the Transportation Security Administration said: "TSA is working closely with the airline, airport, FAA, and law enforcement officials and this incident remains under investigation. We refer you to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and JetBlue for more information."