Many questions remain about the incident.
FAQ: No, the baggage handler in the graphic is not Reginald Gaskin.
United Airlines is still investigating what led to the baggage handler being in a cargo hold for nearly 90 minutes during the flight. The man was found after the aircraft landed at Washington Dulles International Airport, multiple media outlets reported.
The airline said in a statement to the Associated Press Monday that United Express flight No. 6060 was operated by Mesa Airlines, and it landed safely at Dulles on Sunday at about 4:16 p.m. Sunday. The statement said that once the plane was at the gate, an employee of the airline’s ground handling vendor was found in the cargo area.
The plane was an Embraer 170 with 50 seats, media outlets reported. Radio communications traffic about the flight suggested the baggage loader was accidentally locked in the cargo area at the Charlotte airport, reported Observer news partner WBTV . The man reportedly refused to be checked out by medics.
Airport officials initially treated the discovery as a security breach, as it worked to identify the employee.
Media outlets have identified the employee as Reginald Gaskin.
Gaskin, 45, told the Washington Post, "I thank God. He was with me." Gaskin told the Post that on advice of his attorney, he would not discuss what happened. He worked for Texas-based G2 Secure Staff, media outlets reported.
United officials could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. At 27,000 feet, for comparison, that would be the equivalent of nearing the top of Mount Everest, which reaches 29,000 feet.