Body Discovered in Wheel Well of United Airlines Aircraft at Hawaii Airport
Click to start listening
Los Angeles, Dec 26 (NationPress) A body was discovered in the wheel well of a United Airlines airplane after it arrived at an airport in Hawaii. This information comes from both the airline and local news sources.
According to a statement released on Wednesday, the airline noted: "Upon arrival at Kahului airport in Maui on Tuesday, a deceased individual was located in the wheel well of one of the main landing gears on a United aircraft." The airline is currently collaborating with law enforcement officials for the ongoing investigation.
The circumstances surrounding how or when the individual accessed the wheel well remain unclear, with reports indicating that the wheel well can only be reached from outside the aircraft, as stated by the Xinhua news agency.
The body was reportedly found on a Boeing 787-10 that had departed from Chicago's O'Hare airport. The discovery occurred within one of the compartments that houses the plane's landing gear while United Flight 202 was arriving from Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
The Maui Police Department is actively investigating the incident concerning the individual found deceased, as reported by local outlet Hawaii News Now.
Officials confirmed that operations at the airport continue as normal and have not been impacted by this event, according to the report.
The Federal Aviation Administration has previously indicated that low oxygen levels in wheel storage compartments and extreme temperatures during flight ascents make survival in the wheel wells or similar areas of commercial aircraft highly improbable. The agency has not yet responded to requests for additional comments.
Law enforcement did not confirm on Tuesday whether the individual found deceased in Maui was a stowaway. It’s worth noting that there have been other fatalities over the years of individuals found in landing gear compartments.
