Authorities in Maui are investigating the discovery of a dead body in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight that landed in Hawaii on Christmas Eve.
The deceased individual was found on United Flight 202, a Boeing 787-10 that departed from Chicago O'Hare International Airport early on Dec. 24 and landed at Kahului Airport in Maui later that afternoon.
The plane had previously flown from São Paulo, Brazil, to Chicago, leaving a narrow window of opportunity for someone to enter the wheel well, according to Hawaii News Now.
This inaccessible compartment is exposed to dangerously low oxygen levels and freezing temperatures at cruising altitudes, conditions rarely survivable.
Investigations by United Airlines and the Maui Police Department are ongoing, with no details yet on the person's identity or the circumstances of their entry into the wheel well.
Law enforcement and airline officials are working together to determine how the individual bypassed airport security and accessed the aircraft's exterior in either Brazil, Chicago or during its layover.
The incident has prompted heightened scrutiny of airport security protocols and international stowaway cases.
Maui officials have stated that airport operations were not disrupted, but broader security concerns will likely lead to tighter measures.
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