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Airplane Makes Emergency Landing After Worker Trapped in Cargo Hold

In a statement posted to its blog, Alaska Airlines said that Flight 448, traveling from Seattle to Los Angeles, returned to Seattle-Tacoma International after being in the air for just 14 minutes. Alaska Airlines said "immediately after takeoff" the pilot "reported hearing banging from beneath the aircraft."

The blog post continued: "After landing, a 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 an update to that post, Alaska Airlines said the ramp agent was an employee of Menzies Aviation. The airline also said the worker, "upon exiting ... told authorities he had fallen asleep." The agent was able to walk off the plane and into a waiting ambulance.

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Sam worked at Vermont Public Radio from October 1978 to September 2017 in various capacities – almost always involving audio engineering. He excels at sound engineering for live performances.
Sam Sanders
Sam Sanders is a correspondent and host of It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders at NPR. In the show, Sanders engages with journalists, actors, musicians, and listeners to gain the kind of understanding about news and popular culture that can only be reached through conversation. The podcast releases two episodes each week: a "deep dive" interview on Tuesdays, as well as a Friday wrap of the week's news.

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