The body of a teen stowaway was found in the wheel well of a US Air Force cargo plane that traveled thousands of kilometres around Africa before returning to an American base in Germany, the Pentagon said.
The deceased "adolescent black male, possibly of African origin" turned up during a "detailed post-flight inspection" of the C-130 at Ramstein Air Base on Sunday night, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Admiral John Kirby.
The body did not affect the plane's flight, nor was it visible during "standard" inspections before and after flights, he said yesterday.
He said it is not known when or where the stowaway entered the landing gear wheel well.
Since taking off from Ramstein, the plane had stopped in Senegal, Mali, Chad, Tunisia and Italy over an eight-day stretch, CNN quoted Air Force spokeswoman Erika Stecker as saying.
"The cause of death, as well as the other circumstances surrounding this incident, remains under investigation," Kirby said.
He said the body had been turned over to German authorities for autopsy.
The C-130 was "supporting Africa Command operations" during its various stops, he said.
