A dead body was discovered in the wheel well of a Boeing 787-10 aircraft that flew from Chicago to Maui on Tuesday afternoon. The body was found after the plane landed, and the person has not been identified.
The flight, Flight 202, departed from Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 9:31am local time and arrived at Kahului Airport on Maui at 2:12pm local time. After landing, a body was discovered in the wheel well of one of the main landing gears.
The Maui Police Department is investigating the death, working with law enforcement agencies to determine how or when the person entered the wheel well. United Airlines has stated that it is cooperating fully with the investigation.
Experts say surviving in the wheel wells of commercial aircraft is rare due to low oxygen levels and extreme temperatures. In 2021, a 26-year-old man survived a flight from Guatemala to Miami after hiding in the landing gear compartment, but others have died in similar incidents over the years.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/25/us/body-found-united-airlines-wheel-well-maui-hawaii.html