The flight was free, but the ride was rough

He didn't get a can of soda, a pillow, or frequent flier miles on the flight, but that was the least of his travel hassles.

A 21-year-old JetBlue employee flew from New York to Boston Saturday in the bowels of the airplane, huddling with the luggage, officials said.

"Even after talking to him, we were a little uncertain as to how it happened," said David Procopio, a Massachusetts State Police spokesman. "This may have been accidental."

The man, whom police would not identify because he was not charged with a crime, was working with cargo at John F. Kennedy International Airport and somehow found himself stuck in the plane when it took off, Procopio said.

Panicked when he realized he was no longer on the ground, he phoned JetBlue officials from the air but had to wait to be unloaded with the luggage at Gate 28 of Logan Airport, police said.

A medical team evaluated him and found no signs of injuries. The matter was turned over to JetBlue. In an e-mailed statement, a JetBlue spokesman, Bryan Baldwin, said the company is investigating. Baldwin said the company flies only two types of aircraft, both of which have pressurized cargo holds. Procopio said he did not know how the employee got back to New York.