Body Found in United Airlines Jetliner

By Jasper Ward

(Reuters) – A dead body was found in the wheel well of a United Airlines jetliner after the aircraft landed in Maui, Hawaii. The airline confirmed the discovery on Wednesday.

The body was located in one of the compartments housing the landing gear after United Flight 202 from Chicago O'Hare International Airport landed at Kahului Airport on Tuesday afternoon. No further details about the deceased have been released.

United stated, "The wheel well was only accessible from outside of the aircraft. At this time, it is not clear how or when the person accessed the wheel well."

The airline is cooperating with authorities on the investigation, while the Federal Aviation Administration did not respond immediately for comments.

Stowaways in unpressurized areas like wheel-houses and cargo holds can face extreme temperatures from minus 50 to minus 60 degrees Celsius and a lack of oxygen. Though the fatality rate is high, some have survived such journeys.

For example, a person was found alive in the undercarriage of an Algerian carrier in Paris last year, and another stowaway was discovered alive in a Cargolux plane arriving in Amsterdam from Africa in January 2022.