Dead body discovered on Honolulu Airport runway
A dead body was discovered at Honolulu Airport forcing the closure of a main runway for several hours.
The body was spotted on the Reef Runway by pilots of a taxiing aircraft who alerted authorities.
The runway was shut down but did not cause any significant flight disruptions.
The Reef Runway is used by wide body jets to approach over water however its closure forced flight path changes for several flights.
The three other runways at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport remained open.
A full investigation by the Honolulu Police Department and FBI is ongoing, said Hawaii Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Sakahara.
"We were notified about possible items or object on the runway. Our crews went out and immediately checked it out and they discovered that it was, in fact, a body," he said.
"They alerted authorities right away, who came and made sure that the scene was contained, and the investigation started right away," Sakahara added.
Police said there is no initially evidence of foul play, leading to reports the unidentified male was possibly a stowaway.
Hawaii News Now cites unnamed sources saying an eye-witness account described a large item falling from a departing aircraft close to where the body was discovered.
The cause of death will likely be announced Tuesday by the Honolulu Medical Examiner’s office.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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