An Alaska Airlines flight was forced to return to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after an airport worker was discovered in the cargo hold having fallen asleep before takeoff.
Some 14 minutes after the Alaska Airlines flight had taken off, the captain and some first-class passengers heard banging coming from beneath the aircraft. The pilot decided to return to the airport and declared an emergency for priority landing.
The worker was discovered in the front cargo hold, which is pressurized and temperature-controlled as it is where animals are kept during flights. The man was unhurt.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.