A body was discovered in the landing gear compartment, or wheel well, of a United Airlines plane after it landed in Hawaii on Christmas Eve, the airline confirmed.
The discovery has raised questions about how the individual managed to get into the aircraft’s landing gear compartment, which is only accessible from the exterior of the plane.
Flight 202, which had departed from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Tuesday morning, arrived at Maui’s Kahului Airport later in the afternoon.
The Boeing 787-10 aircraft, which had completed the approximately 8-hour flight, was carrying passengers when the body was found in the landing gear compartment.
United Airlines stated that it remains unclear how or when the person managed to access the landing gear.
The airline confirmed that the compartment is not accessible from inside the plane and can only be reached from the outside, suggesting the individual might have attempted to hide there during the flight.
The identity of the deceased has not been released, and no additional details about the circumstances surrounding the incident have been disclosed.
The Maui Police Department issued a brief statement, confirming that an investigation is underway.
“Regarding a deceased individual discovered on an incoming flight from the mainland this afternoon, no further details are available at this time,” the department said.
This incident follows a number of similar occurrences over the years where stowaways have tried to hide in the landing gear compartment of aircraft in an attempt to travel long distances.
The risks of such stowaways include extreme cold temperatures at high altitudes, lack of oxygen, and other dangers associated with being hidden in a small compartment for the duration of a flight.
The airline is working closely with law enforcement agencies, including the Maui Police Department and federal authorities, to investigate the cause of the incident and determine how the person managed to get into the landing gear.
United Airlines has not commented on whether the individual was known to have been a stowaway or whether they had other means of entering the aircraft.
The BBC has reached out to the Maui Police Department for further comments, but no additional information has been provided as of now.
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