A dead body was found lodged in the wheel well of a United Airlines plane when it arrived in Maui, Hawaii, on Christmas Eve, according to officials.
According to the airline and FlightAware data, Flight 202 departed Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport at 9:49 a.m. on Tuesday and arrived at Kahului Airport around 2:12 p.m.
The body was discovered in the Boeing 787-10’s landing gear wheel well, which can only be accessed from the outside, according to United Airlines.
Officials did not immediately provide an explanation for the grisly discovery. According to sources at Hawaii News Now, the body was male.
“At this time, it is not clear how or when the person accessed the wheel well,” the airline stated, noting that it is cooperating with law enforcement on the incident.
The police added in a statement, “The Maui Police Department is currently conducting an active investigation into a deceased individual discovered on an incoming flight from the mainland this afternoon.
“At this time, no further details are available.”
The airport is operating normally, and flights were unaffected by the grim discovery, state officials told the news outlet.
Separately, air travel was disrupted Tuesday when American Airlines temporarily grounded all of its flights due to technical issues. While flights resumed shortly thereafter, FlightAware reported delays for nearly 900 flights across the country at one point during the day.
