Ramp agent falls asleep, gets trapped in Alaska Airlines cargo hold

SEATTLE, April 13 (UPI) -- After a loud banging was heard beneath an Alaska Airlines aircraft, pilots returned to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to find a ramp agent had been trapped in the cargo hold.

"The ramp agent appeared OK, and was transported to the hospital as a precaution," a statement from the airlines said.

Flight 448 was bound for Los Angeles International Airport when the disruption came about 14 minutes into the flight. The captain declared an emergency for priority landing back at Sea-Tac after the loud banging was heard.

"After landing, the agent, an employee of Menzies Aviation, walked off the aircraft from the front cargo hold, which is pressurized and temperature controlled. Upon exiting, he told authorities he had fallen asleep," the statement read.

FlightRadar24 posted the full path the short flight took to Twitter.

Playback of #AS448—forced to return to #SEA after a worker discovered trapped in0 cargo hold. http://t.co/YifBQNrkBq pic.twitter.com/6vgcd54WNl

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) April 13, 2015