The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has asked its East China branch and the Shanghai airport to investigate why a dead body was found in the landing gear of a United Airlines passenger jet from Shanghai to San Francisco on Thursday.

The Shanghai airport has contacted the US side to ask for information, including fingerprints, in an attempt to identify the person's identity as soon as possible, the CAAC said on its website on Friday.

The body, suspected to be a stowaway, was discovered at about 7:30 am local time in the nose gear of United Airlines flight 858 from Shanghai.