On the eve of Christmas, a shocking discovery was made on a United Airlines flight that had just landed in Maui, Hawaii. Upon landing, the crew found a deceased body in the wheel well of the Boeing 787-10 aircraft. The flight, identified as number 202, had embarked on its journey from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and arrived at Kahului Airport in the afternoon, according to data from the airline and FlightAware.
The body was discovered in the landing gear wheel well, an area that can only be accessed from outside the aircraft. United Airlines confirmed the unsettling discovery but was unable to provide an immediate explanation. Reports from local news outlets in Hawaii identified the deceased individual as a male.
The circumstances surrounding how or when the individual gained access to the wheel well remain unclear. United Airlines is actively collaborating with law enforcement agencies to investigate the incident. The Maui Police Department also confirmed their involvement in the ongoing investigation.
Despite the grim discovery, the airport maintained its regular operations. State officials confirmed that the incident did not affect other flights. The Maui Police Department, in a statement, said that no further details were available at the moment.
In unrelated aviation news, American Airlines experienced a temporary grounding of all its flights due to technical issues on the same day. The issue was resolved a few hours later, but not before causing nearly 900 flight delays across the country, as reported by FlightAware.