Man trapped in Cargo Hold.....tabloid!

[airbourne]

Now Im not gonna write the whole thing out, cos its just a waste of space and proof (if we didnt need it) that tabloids havnt a clue!

An Aer Lingus baggage handler had a last minute escape as a plane bound for New York prepared to take off, with him trapped in the cargo hold.

The incident happened yesterday morning at Dublin airport as flight EI105 was preparing to leave for JFK.

The frantic worker tried banginf ont he door of the luggage hold but the noise of the planes engines drowned out his efforts.

The BOEING (yes, its says Boeing) plane moved off its stand and had started to taxi towards the runway.

But the quick-thinking worker had his mobile phone and took a chance that he would get a signal inside the hold. He rand his collegues and told them of his prediciament. The a/c was stopped and he got out, the flight was delayed by about 20 mins.

A source told 'the star' he was 'very lucky'

Thrers more, but my hands are sore from typing such crap! Just for the record, was it 1993 that Aer Lingus stopped flying t/a with Boeing a/c?

Ah, you got to love the tabloids!!

[The African Dude]

Boeing, Airbus, whatever - if the cargo heating wasn't switched on he saved his own neck in the nick of time! Sounds like a fun story. At least it's not slating someone like the normal tabloid crap!

[Airbubba]

Over the years, some of the trapped baggage handlers do make it airborne. It is not uncommon to have someone nap in the cargo hold while waiting for the last bags.

Eastern had a case in MIA in the late 80's as I recall.

FedEx had a loader accidentally ride in the hold of a 727 a few years ago and the company dispatched a corporate jet to retrieve him.

UPS had a loader accidentally cross the Pacific in a 747 a while back I'm told.

[Harry Faversham]

Good human interest story, the type of aircraft pretty irrelevent to the average reader.

Airborne you need to chill out a little.

[zerozero]

The cell phone was a good idea

But wouldn't it be better to install an intercom in the compartment?

[Phil Hudson]

But wouldn't it be better to install an intercom in the compartment?

Sure, that way the (Un)happy baggage handler could order some food and drinks crossing the dam.

[False Capture]

Whilst on the subject of intercoms, ground-crew and being airborne.
Some years ago, we were in the cruise at FL310 when the 'GROUND CALL' light illuminated. This conjured up visions of some poor sod clinging-on for dear life. I looked at the First Officer in disbelief and said "you sure we got visual clearance from the ground-crew?"
A few days later someone else flying the same a/c complained when the 'GROUND CALL' light illuminated at about 1000' during the approach.

[Fris B. Fairing]

Reminds me of a loader who got locked in the rear hold of a DC-8 in pre-mobile days. He had the presence of mind to "burrow" his way aft so he could pound his fists under the galley floor.

[hobie]

type of aircraft pretty irrelevent to the average reader

Not on PPRuNe surely ..... we all know EI only run Buses on the Atlantic routes and have done for Donkey's years

[javelin]

Sorry folks, the Airbus holds are pressurised and normally heated, you have to force cool them to get them below 10c and that's usually done only when carrying perishables. Likely he would have been bored and thirsty by the time he got to NY, that's about all.

[Idunno]

I'll hazard a guess that he was in the BULK hold - not the main cargo holds. Its common practice for one handler to be in the bulk hold to manhandle loose bags into position. Theres little need for a handler to be in the main cargo bays as the bags are loaded by igloo, and the whole process is mechanized.

I'll also hazard a guess that this hero was having a snooze on some comfy bags, and his mates either forgot him - or 'forgot him' (if you get my meaning). Maybe he's not popular with the lads?

Bulk holds in A330's are heated. Animals (dogs/cats) are regularly carried in the bulk holds of Airbusses.
So no big deal - he'd have lived to tell the tale even if he wasn't found until NY.

Unless he has a very good excuse - the fecker should be sacked for falling asleep on the job, and endangering an aircraft.

[Curious Pax]

Entirely agree with you Idunno until your last 3 words - how exactly was he endangering the aircraft?

[BALIX]

Not totally unrelated but a few years back I got a message to pass on to the crew of an MD11 of an American airline that was out of LHR heading across the pond, somewhere in the vicinity of the Outer Hebrides. The message was to turn the heating on in hold number two as there were a couple of dogs in it.

I sincerely hope the hold warmed up quickly enough to defrost the poor muts

[lomapaseo]

Entirely agree with you Idunno until your last 3 words - how exactly was he endangering the aircraft?

he could have gone mad and started chewing up the aircraft wires. It's happened before

[Idunno]

Yes - exactly.

Seriously though - if 'banging' was to be heard from below the rear galley floor somewhere over the Atlantic, or N.Canada, perhaps a decision to divert would have had to result. Thus requiring the a/c to get off the NAT tracks safely and land in some god-foresaken strip of concrete in the grips of deep winter.

Every landing carries risk, and an extra landing - especially in difficult conditions - means ADDED UNNECESSARY RISK.

Ergo - sack the bugger.

[Leezyjet]

Theres little need for a handler to be in the main cargo bays as the bags are loaded by igloo, and the whole process is mechanized.

Someone still needs to go in there to lock the ULD's into position otherwise they will slide around in the hold. That bit isn't mechanised. It's not uncommon for them to have a "rest" in the main cargo bay while they are waiting for the rest of the load to arrive.

[millerscourt]

Many years ago when on B707's with Kuwait Airways we for the first few years always did our base checks on the aircraft. We got airborne with full fuel and about three of us for checks doing circuits and go arounds when we heard a banging noise. The F/E went down to the Lower 41 and peered through into the cargo hold and saw a pair of eyes staring at him. We landed and let out a Baluchi baggage loader who had gone in to get out of the sun. We couldn't stop laughing for the rest of the exercise

[Wake Turbulence]

Re: Man trapped in Cargo Hold.....tabloid!

Originally Posted by Curious Pax

how exactly was he endangering the aircraft?

Re-read the OP, the bag handler switched on his mobile and made a call while the a/c was underway!

[Clipper7]

Re: Man trapped in Cargo Hold.....tabloid!

I remember hearing a story of two guys who got locked in the compartment of a 757 - forgot which airline and where. Somebody noticed they were missing before the plane left the gate but in an interview they said they had planned on putting a lighter (lid cigarette) to the smoke detector in the hold to raise the alarm - something that would no doubt have killed them since the first reaction of a fire system is to suck out all the oxygen in the affected area.

[3PARA]

Re: Man trapped in Cargo Hold.....tabloid!

Some years ago now a friend of mine got locked in the hold of a Bae 146 while tying down radioactive cargo. Being new to the job He thought it was a wind up until He felt the a/c push back. Lying on His back He started kicking the roof & yelling. As the a/c taxied a pax pressed the call button & told the cabin crew She thought she could hear someone banging underneath. The Hostie dismissed her concerns by saying it was just the a/c going over the joins in the concrete on the taxiway. The pax pressed the call button a second time & said "excuse Me dear but do the joins in the concrete go for f ck sake let Me out" friend spent next 3 days dodging tabloid journos