autoevolution
 

Drunk Baggage Handler Crawls Into, Falls Asleep in Plane Cargo Hold

This gives new meaning to the phrase “falling asleep on the job.” One employee for operator Piedmont Airlines fell asleep in the empty cargo hold of an American Airlines plane and woke up one hour later, in a different city.
Drunk baggage handler falls asleep inside empty cargo hold of American Airlines plane, flies to Chicago 11 photos
Photo: inc.com
Kitty Hawk FlyerKitty Hawk FlyerKitty Hawk FlyerKitty Hawk FlyerKitty Hawk FlyerKitty Hawk FlyerKitty Hawk FlyerKitty Hawk FlyerKitty Hawk FlyerKitty Hawk Flyer
As you can imagine, he didn’t wake up on his own: the feds and the cops were on hand to do that, but they didn’t bring any coffee.

Ross Feinstein, a spokesperson for American Airlines, confirms the incident for People Magazine, saying that the baggage handler worked at the Kansas City International Airport. He crawled inside the empty cargo hold and fell asleep there, as he would later confirm to authorities, and he woke up in Chicago.

He was drunk, too. The American Airlines flight was a Boeing 737-800 plane and the cargo hold was pressurized and heated, so the dude had the most refreshing nap. Other baggage handler didn’t notice him there because the flight was booked halfway (80 seats out of 160), so they didn’t need this cargo hold to load luggage.

“The flight landed safely at Chicago O’Hare (ORD) at 7:09 a.m. CT and taxied to the gate,”
Feinstein says in a statement. “The team member was then discovered upon arrival at the gate in Chicago.”

Chicago Police and the FBI responded to the call of an unauthorized person on board the plane, which is when the man admitted to downing one too many drinks and falling asleep in the cargo hold.

Because no crime had been committed and there was no reason to doubt his story, authorities let the man go without pressing charges. He didn’t even have to take a breathalyzer, so he was sent back to Kansas City with another American Airlines flight.

The bad news is that he’s been (unsurprisingly) suspended from his job while an investigation into the incident is underway.

“Our top priority is ensuring the well-being of the Piedmont employee,” Feinstein adds. “He did not request any medical attention upon arrival in Chicago, and we are grateful that he did not sustain any injuries. The American team is very concerned about this serious situation, and we are reviewing what transpired with our Piedmont and Kansas City colleagues.”
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories