This archive report was first published on 2 July 2019.
On Sunday afternoon, a man sunbathing in his garden in Clapham, south-west London, witnessed a tragic event unfold before his eyes. A suspected stowaway had fallen to his death from a Kenya Airways plane heading to Heathrow Airport.
According to a neighbour who wished to remain anonymous, he heard a loud 'whomp' when the body hit the ground. He went upstairs to look out of a window and initially thought it was a tramp asleep in the garden.
However, upon closer inspection, the neighbour saw blood all over the walls of the garden and realised that the person had fallen from the plane. The victim's head was not in a good way, and the neighbour was shaken by the sight.
As reported by The Sun newspaper, a photograph taken on Tuesday showed the devastating impact of the fall, with paving stones in the garden smashed and the ground dented.
Police found a bag, water, and some food in the landing gear compartment of the plane once it arrived at Heathrow. Officers are now working to identify the victim.
Many stowaways do not survive due to the lack of oxygen and freezing temperatures in the wheel-wells of aircraft flying at high altitude. Several bodies have been found along the Heathrow flight path in west London, according to aviation expert Alastair Rosenschein.
