AN aircraft baggage handler could be heard screaming and shouting after becoming trapped inside a plane’s cargo hold moments before take-off.
Air Canada flight AC15502 was preparing to depart Pearson Airport in Toronto for Moncton, New Brunswick, when the cargo doors were closed with a ground crew member still inside.
Unaware of the mistake, the aircraft began to taxi for take-off.
Travel blogger Stephanie Cure wrote on social media that chilling screams echoed through the cabin as the plane approached the runway.
Beneath their feet, passengers could hear frantic banging from inside the aircraft.
“We had already started taxiing when a baggage crew member was under the aircraft in the cargo and could be heard yelling for help and banging underneath us,” Cure said.
“I’ve never had that in my life.”
What should have been a routine departure quickly turned into chaos.
The aircraft was forced to abandon its taxi and return to the gate.
“First time, hopefully the first and last. But that’s the reason we had to taxi – get that person out of the airplane,” Cure added.
“The good news is that the person is perfectly fine and safe.”
Back at the gate, the trapped ground crew member was safely retrieved from the cargo hold and, remarkably, was not injured.
Passengers were then asked to wait while the airline completed paperwork related to the incident.
Despite the delay, Cure said the flight never made it to its destination that day, with the airline citing circumstances beyond its control.
Another passenger, Gabrielle Canon, said she immediately sensed something was not right.
From her seat, she watched as panic spread through both the cabin and the tarmac.
“We’re noticing the flight attendants are kinda running back and forth in the airplane, and on the ground, we could see crew gathering around the plane,” Canon said.
“So we knew something was happening.”
Aviation industry expert John Gradek said that while the situation was alarming, the handler was not at risk of hypothermia or asphyxiation during the incident.
However, he noted that investigators would likely scrutinise the actions of the ground crew and whether proper attention was being paid at the time.
In the aftermath, Air Canada said it has reinforced its procedures with ground staff following the safety lapse.
The bizarre incident sparked a wave of criticism online, with many questioning how such an oversight could occur.
One user wrote: “Radios should be carried by all ramp crew.
“I know the Lead always does, but everyone should have a radio for safety reasons.
Another added: “There should be some sort of button so the pilots can be alerted.
“Can’t be all that difficult to engineer.”