A body was found in the landing gear of a plane flying from Chicago to Kahului, Hawaii. Police are investigating the details of the incident and who was hiding in the alcove.
Hawaii police are investigating after a body was found in the landing gear of a United Airlines jet. The Boeing 787-10 departed O'Hare in Chicago on Tuesday, Dec. 24, and landed in Kahului, Hawaii.
Hawaii. fuselage in the landing gear of an airplane
The airline said in a statement to CNN that the landing gear was only accessible from the outside and it was unclear how or when the person got there.
See: Plane crash in Kazakhstan. Experts point to terrorist attack
Maui police said the investigation is ongoing. The body was also confirmed to be that of a man. This person may have snuck onto the plane even earlier. Before leaving Chicago, Boeing was in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Traveling on the landing gear of an airplane is dangerous
Hiding under the chassis is the most common method of “stowaway”. However, it is extremely dangerous and, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, more than 77% of such cases result in the death of the traveler.
See: Kazakhstan disaster. Unofficial: Russian missiles were the cause
Stowaways are often crushed when the landing gear is retracted as there is not much space. On many airplanes, this space is smaller than the trunk of a car.
Weather conditions are also an obstacle. As the plane reaches higher altitudes, oxygen levels drop. Furthermore, the outside temperature can drop rapidly, reaching as low as -60 degrees Celsius. This means stowaways are exposed to frostbite and hypothermia.
Your browser does not support video players… Read more
Want to get the latest news?
We are preparing an application for your phone. Please check it out!
