A body was discovered in the wheel well of a United Airlines plane upon its arrival at Kahului Airport in Hawaii on Tuesday. The airline and Maui Police Department confirmed the incident in separate statements released Wednesday. The deceased was found in the wheel well of a Boeing 787-10, flight 202, which had originated in Chicago’s O’Hare airport on Christmas Eve morning. Before departing Chicago, the plane had made a previous stop in São Paulo, Brazil.
United Airlines stated that the wheel well is only accessible from outside the aircraft, leaving the circumstances of how and when the individual entered the wheel well unclear. The Maui Police Department is actively investigating the death. No information regarding the identity of the deceased has yet been released. The department’s statement simply noted an ongoing investigation into the death of an individual discovered on an incoming flight from the mainland. The Associated Press contributed to this report.