Dead body found in wheel well of United Airlines plane after Hawaii touchdown – ‘Not clear how or when’ | World News – Times of India
Christmas Eve at Kahului Airport in Maui took a grim turn when a shocking discovery was made on United Airlines Flight 202. A dead body was found in the wheel well of the aircraft’s main landing gear after it landed from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
The Boeing 787-10 aircraft had departed Chicago at 9:31 am local time on Tuesday, arriving in Maui at 2:12 pm local time, according to FlightAware. Upon inspection after landing, airline staff uncovered the body in a compartment accessible only from outside the plane.
United Airlines confirmed the discovery in a statement:
“Upon arrival at Kahului Airport in Maui, a body was found in the wheel well of one of the main landing gears on a United aircraft. At this time, it is not clear how or when the person accessed the wheel well.”
A dangerous gamble in the skies
The grim find sheds light on the perilous attempts by individuals to stow away in aircraft landing gear compartments. These spaces, roughly the size of a small car trunk, pose significant risks. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports that more than 77% of people attempting to stow away in these compartments have died.
Stowaways face oxygen deprivation as planes climb to cruising altitudes, often exceeding 30,000 feet. Temperatures in the wheel well can plummet to -80°F, causing frostbite, hypothermia, and eventual loss of consciousness. The retraction of landing gear itself poses a crushing hazard.
Despite these dangers, there have been rare survivors. In 2021, a 26-year-old man defied the odds, surviving a flight from Guatemala to Miami in a landing gear compartment. However, tragedies are far more common. In 2019, a man fell to his death from a British Airways flight’s landing gear over London after departing Nairobi.
Investigation underway
Maui police are now investigating the circumstances of the latest incident. Alana K. Pico, a spokeswoman for the department, said the body remains unidentified, and the cause of death is yet to be determined.
United Airlines has pledged full cooperation with law enforcement as the investigation unfolds. It remains unclear how the individual accessed the restricted area, especially considering the security measures in place at airports.
The FAA has yet to comment on the incident. Meanwhile, the discovery raises questions about airport security and the desperation that drives individuals to risk everything for an uncertain journey.
As the investigation continues, one thing is certain: the wheel well of an aircraft is not just a confined space—it is a zone of extreme peril, where dreams of escape too often turn into fatal endings.
