MD80 flight crew has baggage handler locked in forward cargo bin.

Attributes
ACN	569830
Time
Date	200212
Day	Fri
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ric.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	569830
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Just prior to pushback at ric, we heard a banging noise coming from the floor at the rear of the cockpit. The flight attendants could also hear it. It sounded like a baggage door being shut over and over. I had indications of the 2 aft doors being open. I asked the ground person if they were having trouble with a baggage door and they said yes. Right about then, the noise stopped. When pushback started, the noise came back, only louder. I then asked them to stop the push and look in the forward cargo bin. A very upset baggage handler was found inside! I then had them check all the other bins, and we then departed, after I called the station on the radio to let them know what had just happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLC HAS BAGGAGE HANDLER LOCKED IN FORWARD CARGO BIN.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK AT RIC, WE HEARD A BANGING NOISE COMING FROM THE FLOOR AT THE REAR OF THE COCKPIT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS COULD ALSO HEAR IT. IT SOUNDED LIKE A BAGGAGE DOOR BEING SHUT OVER AND OVER. I HAD INDICATIONS OF THE 2 AFT DOORS BEING OPEN. I ASKED THE GND PERSON IF THEY WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH A BAGGAGE DOOR AND THEY SAID YES. RIGHT ABOUT THEN, THE NOISE STOPPED. WHEN PUSHBACK STARTED, THE NOISE CAME BACK, ONLY LOUDER. I THEN ASKED THEM TO STOP THE PUSH AND LOOK IN THE FORWARD CARGO BIN. A VERY UPSET BAGGAGE HANDLER WAS FOUND INSIDE! I THEN HAD THEM CHK ALL THE OTHER BINS, AND WE THEN DEPARTED, AFTER I CALLED THE STATION ON THE RADIO TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED.

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.