A routine flight out of Toronto took a terrifying turn after an airport worker was accidentally trapped inside the cargo hold of a passenger plane just moments before takeoff.
According to reports from CBC and the Toronto Star, the incident happened on December 13 aboard Air Canada Rouge Flight AC1502, which was scheduled to fly from Toronto to Moncton.
As the plane was taxiing toward the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport, passengers seated near the back began hearing loud banging and desperate screams coming from below the aircraft. Several alerted flight attendants, and at least one passenger reportedly contacted authorities.
“It was really alarming,” passenger Gabrielle Caron told CBC. “People in the back could hear someone screaming and banging, trying to get attention.”
Passengers soon noticed flight attendants rushing up and down the aisle, while ground crews gathered around the aircraft outside. The plane was quickly turned back to the gate, where staff discovered a baggage handler trapped inside the cargo hold.
Air Canada later confirmed that the cargo doors had been inadvertently closed while a member of the ground crew was still inside. The worker was safely released, and the airline said no injuries were reported.
One passenger shared video footage on Instagram capturing the pilot addressing the shaken cabin after the discovery.
“I’ve never had that in my life,” the pilot said in the clip. “First time, hopefully first and last.” He reassured passengers that the worker had been removed from the aircraft and was safe.
The passenger who posted the video wrote that the plane had already begun taxiing when the trapped crew member could be heard yelling for help and banging beneath the cabin floor.
“Thankfully, he got out safely,” the passenger wrote. “I still can’t believe this happened.”
While the incident ended without injuries, it left many travelers stunned by how close the situation came to becoming a tragedy.
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