Airport worker is locked in plane cargo hold and nearly loses two legs to frostbite after surviving an hour at -25C – before pilots discover he is on board and divert jet

By TARYN PEDLER

Published: 17:02 GMT, 24 March 2025 | Updated: 17:12 GMT, 24 March 2025

An airport worker nearly lost both legs to frostbite after accidentally trapping himself in the cargo hold just before the plane took off – leaving him to survive minus 25C conditions for an hour.

Ali Celikten, 29, had been loading the Turkish Airlines Airbus A321-200 when he climbed into the luggage storage area to secure passengers’ bags.

But with fellow colleagues not realising the worker was still inside the plane, the cargo hold hatches were closed and the engines were switched on.

Ali banged on the metal door and screamed for help, but through the whir of engine and wind, no one could hear him.

The plane then took off from Istanbul Airport and headed for its destination airport in Greece.

But as the aircraft reached its cruising altitude of 36,000 ft, the temperature in the cargo dropped significantly.

The trapped man continued his efforts in attempting to attract attention from flyers and other colleagues, but to no avail.

Ali was forced to search through passengers’ suitcases for warm clothing, knowing he would not be able to survive for long in minus 25C.

Ali Celikten, 29, was accidentally left in the cargo hold of a Turkish Airlines plane before it took off, leaving him in sub-freezing temperatures for around an hour

Ali has reportedly sued Turkish Airlines following his ordeal which left him almost having to have his legs amputated

Paramedics found Ali in the cargo hold with severe hypothermia and frostbite (file image)

Back on the ground at Istanbul Airport, no one had noticed his absence, thinking he was in the break room.

But when they went to check on him and he wasn’t there, they looked at CCTV footage which captured him climbing into the cargo hold, but not coming back out.

According to Turkish media, the tower was immediately informed and the plane was diverted.

Instead of its original destination in Athens, the plane landed in Izmir, Turkey, around an hour later.

Paramedics found Ali in the cargo hold with severe hypothermia and frostbite. 

According to German newspaper Bild, Ali almost lost his legs due in the incident.

The airline worker later recounted: ‘I was trapped in an airtight, ice-cold room. 

‘I couldn’t do anything except cry. ‘Now I’m receiving psychological support and have lost my job.’ 

He has since sued his ‘forgetful’ colleagues. 

According to the newspaper, he rejected allegations that he had intentionally stayed on the plane.

‘Some say I wanted to leave illegally. But no one would voluntarily endure even a minute under these conditions.’

It comes after an AirFrance plane was forced to return home just two hours in to its flight after a passenger lost their phone on board.

The plane, flying on Friday from Paris to Pointe-a-Pitre in Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean, was forced to turn its 375 passengers and 12 crew members back to France around a quarter of the way into the flight.

According to AirPlusNews, the plane was made to turn around as a safety precaution.

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Airport worker is locked in plane cargo hold and nearly loses two legs to frostbite after surviving an hour at -25C – before pilots discover he is on board and divert jet

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