By Jasper Ward (Reuters) – A deceased individual was discovered in the wheel well of a United Airlines jetliner following the aircraft’s arrival on the Hawaiian island of Maui, as confirmed by the airline on Wednesday. The body was found within one of the compartments housing the airplane’s landing gear subsequent to United Flight 202 from Chicago O’Hare International Airport touching down at Kahului Airport on Tuesday afternoon, according to information available on the airline’s website. No additional details pertaining to the deceased individual were disclosed.
“The wheel well was solely accessible from outside the aircraft. Presently, the manner in which or the timeframe during which the individual gained entry to the wheel well remains unclear,” stated the airline. United Airlines further noted that they were in collaboration with authorities as part of the ongoing investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration did not provide an immediate response to a request for comment.
Individuals who attempt to stow away in the unpressurized wheel wells and cargo holds of aircraft are exposed to extreme temperatures ranging between minus 50 degrees and minus 60 degrees Celsius (minus 58 to minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit), in addition to a deficiency of oxygen. While the fatality rate for most wheel-well stowaways is notably high, instances of survival have been reported.
In a separate incident last year, a person was discovered alive in the undercarriage bay of an Algerian carrier’s aircraft in Paris. Similarly, in January 2022, a stowaway was found alive within the wheel section situated beneath the front of a Cargolux freight plane that had arrived at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport from Africa.
