Armed police in Buenos Aires swarmed an American Airlines flight bound for New York after it returned, reporting banging noises from a cargo area. American Airlines flight AA954, operated by the Boeing 777-300ER had departed Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport. It was performing a scheduled service to New York on 31 October 2024.
The flight had set course normally and cruising at FL330 (33,000 feet) in Argentinian airspace. At that time, some flight attendants and passengers reported hearing unusual sounds emanating from the aircraft’s cargo hold.
The noise, described as a knocking sound, raised concerns among the operating crew. The cargo hold area was inaccessible with the aircraft in flight. As a precaution flight crew elected to make a return to Ezeiza International Airport.
Several specialist teams met the aircraft upon its arrival, as reported by the Argentinian news source Clarin. Authorities deployed the Special Tactical Assault Group (GEAT), the Special Weapons Control Group (GEDEX), and canine technology groups to manage the incident.
In addition to the specialist groups, personnel from the National Civil Aviation Administration, firefighting and health sectors also attended. Footage surfacing on social media shows a squad of armed police in combat fatigues preparing to enter the open cargo hold access door. Attending specialist teams checked the aircraft’s cargo holds and found no evidence of a trapped person. Workers unloaded each cargo container, but found no irregularities.
Some media outlets mistakenly reported that someone was trapped in the cargo hold. American Airlines confirmed that upon inspection of the hold, this was not the case. Flight 954 returned to Buenos Aires due to a reported noise in the cargo hold. After a thorough search, it was determined there was no issue. Our customers will be re-departing later today and we apologize for the inconvenience
The airline subsequently cancelled the scheduled AA954 service to New York. This was necessary as flight crew were beyond their mandatory flight and duty time limits. The aircraft conducting the American Airlines AA954 rotation to New York JFK International Airport was a Boeing 777-300ER, registered N717AN.
