Stowaway found on Miami-bound flight from Dominican Republic

MIAMI – Authorities say a stowaway on a flight from the Dominican Republic to Miami was spotted emerging from the plane’s wheel well and sent back home.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mike Silva said Monday the man was a Dominican national.

Silva said Miami-Dade Police spotted him exiting the wheel well after American Airlines flight 1026 from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, landed Saturday at Miami International Airport.

Police detained the man, whose name wasn’t released. Silva said he was medically cleared, processed as a stowaway by federal authorities and returned to the Dominican Republic.

Silva said local and federal authorities searched the plane and cleared it to resume normal operations.

Airline spokesman Ross Feinstein said the airline was reviewing the incident with Las Americas International Airport officials.