Groundstaffer Trapped in Cargo Hold of American Airlines B777 Forces Diversion to Buenos Aires

An American Airlines flight started on the wrong foot as passengers and crew members could hear loud banging coming from the cargo hold as soon as the aircraft took off. This unfortunate mishap cost travelers hours of their time on the way to New York.

Stuck At 36,000 Feet

On October 31, American Airlines flight AA954 was slated to depart Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport in Argentina en route to John F. Kennedy International Airport. But little did personnel know that an unnamed member of the airline's ground staff got trapped inside the cargo hold.

The aircraft took off at around 9:20 p.m. local time, but the groundstaffer immediately made his presence known by hitting the cargo hold's walls using a blunt object. His noises alerted those in the passenger cabin, which caused security protocols to go into effect.

As a result, the Boeing 777-300ER turned around and returned to the airport at Buenos Aires. The flight lasted nearly two and a half hours.
 

See the Police Sent to the Aircraft

X user Capi Super Girl uploaded a video to social media showing a heavily armed police force taking a lift towards the aircraft's cargo hold entrance. Translated in English, she wrote, "An American Airlines flight bound for New York made an emergency landing in Buenos Aires, leaving one person trapped in the cargo hold."

The groundstaff left the cargo hold unscathed. The American Airlines flight, however, was no longer a nonstop flight that went directly to New York. This was likely due to the aircraft's need for more fuel.

According to data from FlightAware, Flight AA954 took off at 12:56 a.m. on November 1 and landed at Miami International Airport as a connecting flight. The passengers boarded another Boeing aircraft for the flight to New York, which took off at 10:40 a.m. and was scheduled to land around 1:13 p.m.

A similar scenario happened in Turkey, where cries for help were reportedly heard on a Pegasus Airlines flight from Istanbul to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The flight diverted to Anyalta, Turkey, but crew members couldn't find the source of the sound or anybody stuck inside the cargo hold.