Three Blue Mountains residents were on an Alaska Airlines flight that made an emergency landing at Seattle-area airport on Tuesday morning (Australia time) after it took off with a worker trapped in a cargo area under the cabin, where he had fallen asleep.
Katoomba resident Zac Suito said the LA-bound plane was only in the air for a short time when it returned to Seattle. He was seated in the rear section of the plane while siblings Stu Smith, of Katoomba, and Meg Smith, of Glenbrook, were in the front section.
The pilot of Alaska Airlines flight 448 reported hearing banging from beneath the aircraft after takeoff from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, south of Seattle, a statement from the US carrier said.
When the aircraft returned after being in the air for 14 minutes, a ramp agent was found inside the pressurised and temperature-controlled front cargo hold, the statement said.
After exiting, the Menzies Aviation employee told authorities he had fallen asleep, Alaska Airlines said in a statement.
"The ramp agent appeared OK, and was transported to the hospital as a precaution," the airline said on its website. "We are actively investigating the matter.
Mr Suito, the owner of Cassiopeia Specialty Coffee in Katoomba and Springwood, was in Seattle for a work conference with Mr and Ms Smith.
- with REUTERS
