A body was discovered in the wheel well of United Airlines flight 202 upon its arrival at Kahului Airport, Maui, from Chicago on Christmas Eve. The chilling find has raised numerous questions as authorities begin their investigation.
The body was located inside the wheel well connected to one of the main landing gears of the Boeing 787-10 aircraft. United Airlines confirmed the aircraft landed at Kahului Airport on December 24 and had arrived on time. According to the airline, the wheel well could only be accessed from outside the aircraft, leading to uncertainty surrounding how or when the individual gained access.
“The wheel well was only accessible from outside of the aircraft,” United Airlines stated, underscoring the mystery surrounding this incident. They also clarified, “At this time, it is not clear how or when the person accessed the wheel well.”
The Maui Police Department is actively investigating the situation, but officials have not provided additional details about the individual or the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. The discovery has made waves within the aviation community, primarily due to the potential connections to stowaway incidents.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, hiding in a plane’s wheel well is the most common method used by stowaways attempting to hitch illegal rides. Tragically, over 77% of those who have tried to undertake such dangerous journeys have lost their lives, primarily due to the perilous conditions found within these confined spaces.
Stowaways are often at severe risk during their attempts; the compartment can be cramped, sometimes even smaller than the trunk of a car, and when the landing gear retracts, individuals can be crushed. The climbs between high altitudes bring significantly low temperatures and drastically reduced oxygen levels, deteriorative threats to anyone who manages to hide away.
Many stowaways face frostbite and potential hypothermia, as temperatures outside aircraft can plunge to chilling extremes—reaching as low as 75 or 80 degrees below zero. Such conditions put individuals’ lives at serious risk, which makes the mystery of this body discovery even more alarming.
This incident has garnered significant attention not only because of its tragic nature but also for the broader conversations it sparks around security measures within airports. The ability for unauthorized individuals to access areas such as the wheel well raises questions about the robustness of security protocols. It remains to be seen what measures United Airlines will undertake as they support law enforcement's investigation and seek to prevent similar events from occurring.
While operations at Kahului Airport have remained normal and were reportedly unaffected by this unfortunate discovery, the incident casts shadows over air travel's safety standards and the complex security needs of modern aviation. The coming days are likely to bring more updates as the Maui Police Department delves deeply and begins to untangle the hows and whys of this peculiar—and tragic—situation.
