Civil Aviation Resources Network, January 29, 2024: According to Daily Star, recently, a Turkish low-cost airline Pegasus Airlines (Pegasus Airlines) originally scheduled to fly from Istanbul to Saudi Arabia on flight PC690 was urgently diverted to southern Turkey one hour after takeoff.
According to the report, the crew claimed to have heard suspected human cries for help and collisions coming from the baggage compartment below the floor. When ground crews inspected the cargo hold after the aircraft had been diverted, they did not find anyone trapped. Eventually, the aircraft resumed take-off after confirming that no one was in the cargo hold and continued to its intended destination.
According to the report, the flight took off from Istanbul Airport on the evening of the 27th local time and was ready to fly to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Less than an hour into the flight, riots began on board.
@StokeyyG, a user of social media platform X, told Daily Star that the flight attendant was preparing a meal for passengers when he was suddenly notified that the pilot heard an unusual loud collision in the baggage compartment below. Netizens said that the crew suspected that someone was trapped in the baggage compartment. Some flight attendants mentioned that the temperature in the cargo hold was very low and there was a lack of sufficient oxygen.
The plane turned around and landed at Antalya Airport in the southern Turkish city of about 20 minutes. The ground crew immediately entered the cargo hold and unloaded the baggage one by one for inspection. During this process, passengers stay on the plane and wait. However, in the end, the ground crew did not find anyone in the hold. It was also announced in the cabin that the take-off would be rescheduled and the original route would continue.