Alaska Airlines Ramp Agent Found in Cargo Hold After Banging Alerts Pilot

The pilot of Alaska Airlines flight 448, bound for Los Angeles, heard banging immediately after takeoff from beneath the plane, where officials found a ramp agent this evening inside the front cargo hold after an emergency landing, the company said in a statement.

"The captain immediately returned to Seattle, declaring an emergency for priority landing. The aircraft was in the air for 14 minutes," the airline said. "After landing, the ramp agent was found inside the front cargo hold, which is pressurized and temperature controlled. The ramp agent appeared OK, and was transported to the hospital as a precaution. We are actively investigating the matter."

In a blog on its website, the airline said the agent was an employee of Menzies Aviation. "Upon exiting, he told authorities he had fallen asleep."