The unsettlng discovering was made just after dawn. A cleaning crew working on an American Airlines jet found a fetus in a bathroom.

The plane had arrived in New York from Charlotte at 10:45 p.m. Monday and was being prepared for a morning departure. 

"Absolutely disturbing," said one person at LaGuardia. "Something that you wouldn't expect."

The plane was an Airbus A321, which can seat 220 passengers.

Sources say the fetus was five to six months along. The cleaning crew immediately told a supervisor, who then informed Port Authority police.

American Airlines reps say it was all traumatic for its employees.

"This is not something that you want to find," said one American Airlines passenger. "This must be really shocking for them, a traumatic experience for them going forward."

According to American Airlines, the plane was taken out of service, causing a slight delay in the morning, but the airline was able to find another aircraft to accomodate passengers."

In a statement, the airline says, "As we continue to learn more about this tragic and sensitive situation, we are actively cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation."

Like the airline, LaGuardia Airport addressed the incident but without mentioning the fetus.

 

 

The Queens district attorney's office says it is looking into the matter. The city medical examiner's office says it will release the cause of death of the fetus when its findings are complete.