An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Seattle Monday afternoon after pilots heard a person banging in the cargo hold of the Boeing 737 aircraft. The person turned out to be a ramp worker. The man told authorities he had fallen asleep in the cargo hold, according to a statement from Alaska Airlines.
The incident occurred on Los Angeles-bound Flight 448, where Alaska Air says pilots “reported hearing banging from beneath the aircraft … immediately after takeoff.”
Alaska Air adds: “The captain immediately returned to Seattle, declaring an emergency for priority landing.” The Boeing 737 was in the air for 14 minutes, according to the carrier.
Passengers apparently heard the worker too.
“As we were taking off, the plane accelerated. The passengers in first class heard banging from underneath us and a person yelling for help,” Jesse Sycuro, a passenger on Flight 448, tells KING 5 TV of Seattle.
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SOURCE: USA Today, Ben Mutzabaugh
