A FedEx Express hub worker fell asleep in Tennessee and woke up in Texas.
The shipping company's ground crew member, who was not identified, was loading cargo on to an aircraft at a Memphis airport Friday when he nodded off around 4 a.m., FOX34 reported.
The man woke up mid-flight and tried to alert the pilots by knocking on the cabin door. But the pilots wouldn't open up and communicated with the man via telephone. He was told to sit in a jump seat until the plane landed, Lubbock International Airport Executive Director Kelly Campbell said.
When the flight landed around 5:30 a.m., Lubbock police, the FBI and the Transportation Security Administration were notified of the accidental stowaway. He was questioned at the airport.
"The person was not arrested after police determined there was no criminal intent," a statement from the City of Lubbock said. "The employee was released to local FedEx officials. There was no impact to aircraft operations at Lubbock's airport."
Campbell called the Friday morning incident "very unusual."
FedEx spokesman Jim Masilak said in an emailed statement that there was never any danger to employees or cargo.
"We are fully cooperating with investigating authorities," he said.
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