( CNN ) An Alaska Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing Monday after its pilot reported hearing unusual banging . Flight 448 , which had been bound for Los Angeles , returned to Seattle . Upon landing , a ramp agent was discovered inside the front cargo hold , according to a statement from the airline . The agent , who is an employee of Alaska contractor Menzies Aviation , told authorities he had fallen asleep , the statement said . He appeared to be in OK condition . The cargo hold is pressurized and temperature controlled . The plane was also only in the air for 14 minutes , Alaska Airlines said . CNN affiliate KOMO spoke to Marty Collins , a passenger on the plane . `` We just took off for L.A. regular and then about , oh , about five minutes into the flight the captain came on and said we were going back and we 'd land within five to seven minutes , and we did , '' Collins said . `` When we landed was when all the trucks and the police and the fire trucks surrounded the plane . '' The agent was taken to an area hospital as a precaution . He passed a drug test and was discharged , Alaska Airlines said . He 'd been on a four-person team loading baggage onto the flight . All ramp employees have security badges , and undergo full criminal background checks before being hired , said Alaska Airlines . A total of 170 passengers and six crew members were on Flight 448 . After returning to Seattle , the aircraft took off again , arriving in Los Angeles on Monday evening .
Agent was taken to an area hospital as a precaution . He passed a drug test and was discharged , Alaska Airlines says . The plane landed safely at the airport in Anchorage around 1:30 p.m. local time on Sunday after being diverted from its scheduled route due to bad weather conditions.