What we know so far - Dellupodisabato

Two days after authorities discovered a body in the wheel well of a United Airlines plane after the plane completed a flight from Chicago to Hawaii, many questions remain.

The plane took off from Chicago O’Hare International Airport and landed at Kahului Airport on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Tuesday afternoon. When it arrived, a body was found in one of the main landing gear, United Airlines previously told USA TODAY.

Who the person was and what led them to the wheel well remains unclear. While stowaways have previously used plane wheel wells to sneak onto flights, authorities and airline officials have not given a reason why the person was found there.

Here’s what we know so far:

How did the person get to the wheel arch?

United Airlines said in its previous statement to USA TODAY that investigators have not yet determined “how and when the individual accessed the wheel well.”

The compartment containing the plane’s landing gear is “accessible only from outside the aircraft,” United said, adding that it is cooperating with authorities in the investigation.

The Maui Police Department confirmed to USA TODAY on Wednesday that it is “actively investigating the discovery of a deceased individual on an incoming flight from the mainland.”

Further details were not known at this time. USA TODAY left a message with police Thursday asking for an update on the investigation.

Who was the deceased person?

Neither authorities nor the airline have named the person found in the wheel well, nor have they released any identifying information about the person.

United Airlines had no new information to share when USA TODAY reached Thursday morning.

The Federal Aviation Administration referred questions to the airline and local authorities when reached by USA TODAY on Thursday.

Wheel wells often used by stowaways

While it is unclear whether the person was trying to hide as a stowaway during the flight, it is not uncommon for people to use wheel wells, nose wells and other unpressurized areas to sneak aboard the aircraft.

Reuters reported that stowaways in the depressurized wheelhouses and cargo holds of planes face freezing temperatures, with temperatures ranging from minus 58 degrees to minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Lack of oxygen and the risk of being crushed by the plane’s wheels also often make the practice deadly.

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