An elderly Russian traveler mistakenly stepped onto a baggage conveyor belt at Vladikavkaz Airport, thinking it would lead to her departure gate. She had checked in for a flight to Moscow Domodedovo Airport on suspended oneworld carrier S7 Airlines.
Security footage shows her walking onto the moving carousel at a check-in counter where two airline staff were assisting another passenger. Nobody noticed as she positioned herself on the belt and attempted to lift the plastic curtain that hides the baggage screening area. She loses her footing before passing through the curtain and landing flat on her back, staring up at the overhead screen still displaying her flight details. The conveyor belt kept moving, carrying her behind the check-in area until her head disappeared through the opening.
Witnesses alerted airport employees once they realized someone had been pulled behind the luggage counter. Baggage handlers saw a passenger rolling toward them rather than a suitcase and helped her exit, pointing her in the direction of her gate.
We’ve certainly seen this before, although it’s usually kids going for a ride. Here are parents losing sight of their child in a comical baggage belt chase.
Parents lose sight of their child at the airport pic.twitter.com/1phO6vwbma
— Crazy Clips (@crazyclipsonly) November 23, 2023
And here’s a two year old Spirit Airlines passenger taking a five minute joy ride on a baggage belt in Atlanta. The mother saw it happening. The boy went behind an unstaffed counter and got on the baggage belt. He was at the end of the belt when she noticed, and his mother says “I wanted to jump in and try to go get him, but they didn’t allow me. I was just freaking out.”
VIDEO: Child disappears on airport baggage belt, passes through TSA X-Ray machine, before ending up in baggage inspection station. pic.twitter.com/fbR938r6F4
— Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) July 25, 2019
The boy was gone, rode for five minutes, and was eventually found in a TSA bag room. The toddler “ended up with cuts to his arm and a fractured hand.”
I’ve been on an unintended ride on a baggage carousel. This was long, long ago when the baggage carousels were flat and had no edge. I was 9, wearing a fairly heavy backpack and got knocked down by someone who shoved past. It’s hard enough to get up from laying on your back wearing a pack, it’s even harder when you’re on a moving belt.
Wonder if this somehow led to bypassing the security check and getting into the secure airside area that way.
I remember when I was little I wanted to ride on the baggage belt.
When apprehended, he replied, “Must get Moose and Squirrel.”
‘Aeroflop’