The plane rerouted for an emergency landing in Buenos Aires.
Armed police boarded an American Airlines flight after a strange "banging noise" was heard at 30,000 feet, forcing an unexpected return to Buenos Aires, according to AviationSource News. Flight 954 had taken off from Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires at 9:15 pm Thursday, headed to New York with an estimated arrival of 6:50 am Friday. But while flying over Cordoba, the plane suddenly turned back to Buenos Aires for an emergency landing.
According to news reports, passengers and crew heard sounds that resembled someone knocking from inside the cargo hold, raising concerns that someone might be trapped there. Initially, the pilot told passengers the plane was returning due to a technical issue but later suggested it was possible a person was in the cargo area, which is typically sealed and not meant for live cargo.
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Footage on social media showed intense scenes as authorities prepared to inspect the cargo hold. Argentina's major newspaper, Clarin, reported that specialized teams, including the Special Tactical Assault Group (GEAT), Explosives and Special Weapons Control Group (GEDEX), and specially trained dogs, were deployed to investigate. The operation also involved personnel from the National Civil Aviation Administration, PFA firefighters, and medical support teams.
The Metro reported that in a statement, the airport's security said, "Noises were heard in the cargo hold, enough to give rise to suspicions that there was something unusual. The captain referred to a security problem due to hearing noises."
Heavily armed cops and sniffer dogs were on standby when the flight returned.When police got inside the hold found nobody there.
They reported: "The hold was opened and the unloading of the luggage containers began, without anything outside the normal parameters being seen at the time."