A TAAG Angola Airlines Boeing 777-300 performing flight DT-655 from Porto (Portugal) to Luanda (Angola) reportedly departed with a ground worker in its cargo hold.

According to The Aviation Herald, the flight was already enroute at FL350 about 60nm southeast of Lisbon, Portugal when the crew was informed that a ground worker has gone missing in Porto.

The flight crew turned around and diverted to Lisbon making a rapid descent and landing in Lisbon 18 minutes later. The ground worker was found in the cargo hold suffering from Hypothermia and was taken to a hospital.

The worker had been loading the box of a passenger's pet when he fell and became unconscious. The aircraft departed with the unconscious worker. The absence of the worker was noticed 40 minutes after the aircraft took off.

The airline reported the ground worker is recovering in hospital care and is well. An investigation into the occurrence has been opened.

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