Narrative:

I was the first officer on a cargo/mail flight from mhr to geg with a 16 min stop in pdx. The first leg was flown at FL310 and the second led at FL270. During postflt duties in geg, our company mechanic came to the cockpit and advised there was a foreign national in our aft cargo compartment, cold but alive, stating that he was a company employee that had been closed in the aft belly compartment in mhr. Maintenance also advised that airport security and an ambulance were en route. Using his california driver's license for identify, we verified his employment with his supervisor via cell phone. The man appeared cold but otherwise ok. He said he was waiting in the aft belly for cargo to be loaded. No cargo arrived. The door was closed. Due to the ramp noise, hearing protection and the APU I can only assume no one could hear his cries and knocking for attention. It is the responsibility of the loading crew to look inside the compartment before closing the door. At this time I have not been back to mhr to find out who closed the door. From a flight crew position, I do not know what I could have done different to have prevented this from happening. My job as first officer in a 3 man cockpit is all interior work. It is my understanding that my company and the FAA are/will be looking into ways to prevent this from happening again. In my opinion, the cargo compartments should be opened and checked at every stop, occupied or not. If this had been a much longer flight, I am sure it would have been fatal. As it was, the man was closed in the compartment for a total of 2 1/2 hours -- 1/2 of that was in-flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CARGO LOADER IS TRAPPED IN THE AFT CARGO BIN ON A B727 FREIGHTER FOR 2 LEGS BTWN MHR TO GEG, WA.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON A CARGO/MAIL FLT FROM MHR TO GEG WITH A 16 MIN STOP IN PDX. THE FIRST LEG WAS FLOWN AT FL310 AND THE SECOND LED AT FL270. DURING POSTFLT DUTIES IN GEG, OUR COMPANY MECH CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED THERE WAS A FOREIGN NATL IN OUR AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT, COLD BUT ALIVE, STATING THAT HE WAS A COMPANY EMPLOYEE THAT HAD BEEN CLOSED IN THE AFT BELLY COMPARTMENT IN MHR. MAINT ALSO ADVISED THAT ARPT SECURITY AND AN AMBULANCE WERE ENRTE. USING HIS CALIFORNIA DRIVER'S LICENSE FOR IDENT, WE VERIFIED HIS EMPLOYMENT WITH HIS SUPVR VIA CELL PHONE. THE MAN APPEARED COLD BUT OTHERWISE OK. HE SAID HE WAS WAITING IN THE AFT BELLY FOR CARGO TO BE LOADED. NO CARGO ARRIVED. THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. DUE TO THE RAMP NOISE, HEARING PROTECTION AND THE APU I CAN ONLY ASSUME NO ONE COULD HEAR HIS CRIES AND KNOCKING FOR ATTN. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LOADING CREW TO LOOK INSIDE THE COMPARTMENT BEFORE CLOSING THE DOOR. AT THIS TIME I HAVE NOT BEEN BACK TO MHR TO FIND OUT WHO CLOSED THE DOOR. FROM A FLC POS, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENT TO HAVE PREVENTED THIS FROM HAPPENING. MY JOB AS FO IN A 3 MAN COCKPIT IS ALL INTERIOR WORK. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MY COMPANY AND THE FAA ARE/WILL BE LOOKING INTO WAYS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. IN MY OPINION, THE CARGO COMPARTMENTS SHOULD BE OPENED AND CHKED AT EVERY STOP, OCCUPIED OR NOT. IF THIS HAD BEEN A MUCH LONGER FLT, I AM SURE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. AS IT WAS, THE MAN WAS CLOSED IN THE COMPARTMENT FOR A TOTAL OF 2 1/2 HRS -- 1/2 OF THAT WAS INFLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.