Body found in United Airlines landing gear of Chicago-Hawaii flight

A dead body was discovered in the wheel well of a United Airlines jetliner after it landed on the Hawaiian island of Maui, the airline said on Wednesday (Dec 25).

The body was found on a Boeing 787-10 aircraft. The flight UA202 departed from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Tuesday, December 24, at approximately 9:49 am and landed at Maui’s Kahului Airport around 2:12 am, according to flight tracking data from FlightAware.

United Airlines told the New York Post that the body was found in the landing gear wheel well, a part of the plane only accessible from outside. In a statement to CNN, the airline said, “Upon arrival at Kahului airport in Maui on Tuesday, a body was found in the wheel well of one of the main landing gears on a United aircraft.”

The airline said that it is unclear how or when the individual accessed the wheel well. United Airlines said it is cooperating with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation.

The Maui Police Department also issued a statement confirming the discovery. “The Maui Police Department is currently conducting an active investigation regarding a deceased individual discovered on an incoming flight from the mainland this afternoon. At this time, no further details are available,” the statement read.

State officials told the public that flights and airport operations remained unaffected by the incident, and Kahului Airport continued to function normally.

Most of individuals attempting to travel in wheel well do not survive: Federal Aviation Administration

Authorities are still investigating how the person ended up in the wheel well. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has previously warned of the dangers of hiding in a plane’s wheel well which has extremely low oxygen levels and freezing temperatures at high altitudes.

The FAA has also reported that approximately 77% of individuals attempting to travel in aircraft wheel wells do not survive.

(With inputs from agencies)