"Fortunate" escape for baggage handler

A baggage handler has revealed how he was almost locked in the cargo hold, on a flight bound for New York.

A report heard the man had to call colleagues on his mobile, as the Aer Lingus Airbus 330 was taxi-ing for take-off on 28 December 2005.

He had went to check on a lost bag, when his colleagues sealed up the hold.

Air traffic subsequently had to recall the plane, to free the man.

An air accident report by the Irish Republic’s transport ministry inspector, John Hughes, said it was “a serious incident” and the handler was “fortunate” he had his mobile phone with him.

“Cases have occurred where loaders have been inadvertently locked in a hold. Some years ago, a loader was locked in a hold on a two-hour flight from Philadelphia to Chicago,” the report said.

“This was a traumatic event for this person.”

Mr Hughes also found there was no written procedures or formal training given to closing flights or dealing with a situation where a staff member was locked in an aircraft.

(JM/KMcA)