Alaska Airlines Jetliner Forced to Make Emergency Landing

By Doug Cameron 

Alaska Airlines on Monday said one of its jetliners was forced to make an emergency landing in Seattle after the pilot heard banging from beneath the cabin floor after takeoff from a worker who had been stuck in the cargo hold.

The airline, a unit of Alaska Air Group Inc., said in a statement that it was investigating the unusual incident, which forced Flight 448, bound for Los Angeles, to return after 14 minutes in the air. It said the worker appeared to be okay after the incident, and told authorities he had fallen asleep before takeoff.

The forward cargo hold of the type of plane involved, a Boeing Co. 737, is pressurized and temperature controlled. Alaska Airlines said the worker walked off the aircraft after it landed, and was taken to local hospital as a precaution.

Alaska Airlines said the worker was employed by Menzies Aviation, which according to its website is a unit of U.K.-based John Menzies PLC that employs staff at 149 airports worldwide. Menzies couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Alaska Airlines outsourced hundreds of ground-handling jobs to Menzies in 2005.

The airline said the pilot of Flight 448 started hearing banging immediately after takeoff. "The captain immediately returned to Seattle, declaring an emergency for priority landing," the airline said in a statement.

Write to Doug Cameron at [e-mail]

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