Body found in wheel well of United Airlines flight after landing in Hawaii
Stowaways who hide in wheel wells can be killed by hypothermia and hypoxia, or be crushed by the landing gear
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A body was discovered in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight that arrived in Maui from Chicago.
Flight UA202 arrived at the Kahului Airport on Tuesday afternoon. On the ground, officials discovered a body inside the wheel well of the aircraft, prompting an investigation by the Maui Police Department.
The airline does not yet know how or when the person accessed the wheel well.
“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,” United Airlines said in a statement to CNN. “The wheel well was only accessible from outside of the aircraft.”
The Maui Police Department has few details to release to the public, a spokesperson told local outlet Hawaii News Now.
“The Maui Police Department is currently conducting an active investigation regarding a deceased individual discovered on an incoming flight from the mainland this afternoon,” the department spokesperson said. “At this time, no further details are available.”
The Independent has contacted the Maui Police Department for more information.
Hiding in a plane’s wheel well is the most common method used by stowaways, according to CNN. However, it’s often fatal, as stowaways can develop deadly hypothermia and hypoxia as the plane climbs, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Stowaways can also get crushed as the landing gear retracts.
This end-of-year holiday season, nearly 120 million people will travel away from home, according to the American Automobile Association. This will include a record number of air travelers, the organization predicts.
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