An American Airlines baggage handler fell asleep on the job and ended up flying from Kansas City to Chicago in the belly of a Boeing 737.
The unnamed employee had taken a nap in the belly of the plane in Kansas City in the US after apparently getting drunk on the job.
The employee was working on the ramp for American Flight 363 on Saturday October 27, when he apparently took a nap inside the cargo hold before the flight, reports USA TODAY.
No one noticed him missing, and the plane took off at 5:52am local time with the worker in the forward cargo hold, airline and law enforcement officials confirmed.
The baggage handler wasn’t discovered until the plane landed at O’Hare International Airport and parked at the gate just before 7:30am local time.
The employee was interviewed by the Chicago Police Department, FBI and US Attorney’s Office, standard policy in matters involving aviation security.
He told law enforcement officials he was intoxicated and fell asleep, according to Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
The baggage handler was not charged with a crime and flew back to Kansas City on another American flight, he said.
American spokesman Ross Feinstein said the airline is investigating the matter and that the employee has been suspended.
“The American team is very concerned about this serious situation, and we are reviewing what transpired with our Piedmont and Kansas City colleagues,” he said in a statement.
Feinstein said the 23-year-old employee was unharmed and did not request any medical attention when the flight landed in Chicago. The cargo hold is pressurized and heated, he said.
“We are grateful that he did not sustain any injuries,” Feinstein said