An Istanbul airport employee, Ali Çelikten, was left behind in the cargo hold of a Turkish Airlines flight and spent over an hour and a half in the air at -25°C.
In mid-December, Çelikten was loading luggage onto an Airbus A321neo for flight THY1843 from Istanbul to Athens. As he was arranging bags in the cargo hold, his colleagues unknowingly closed the door behind him, locking him inside. Despite his desperate attempts to shout and bang on the fuselage, the sound of the engines drowned out his cries, and the plane took off for Greece.
The crew only realized that Çelikten was missing halfway through the flight. Upon reviewing security footage, they immediately alerted air traffic controllers, who contacted the pilot. The plane, which was already flying over the Aegean Sea in Greek airspace, was then turned around and returned to Izmir Airport.
During the flight, Çelikten endured freezing temperatures as he huddled among the luggage, trying to stay warm. At an altitude of 11,000 to 12,000 meters and temperatures around -25°C, he was trapped in the hold for approximately 90 minutes. Using items he found in the luggage, he wrapped himself to prevent freezing.
Çelikten narrowly escaped losing his legs due to frostbite, but medical personnel were able to assist him upon landing. He continues to receive treatment for the severe effects of exposure, including the narrowing of blood vessels in his brain caused by the lack of pressure in the unpressurized hold. Following the incident, he filed a lawsuit accusing his colleagues of negligence.