SEATAC, Wash. - For the second time in two weeks, an Alaska Airlines jet at Sea-Tac International Airport suffered damage during a ground incident.
The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. Thursday when a baggage loader collided with a 737-700 jet parked on the jetway, damaging it enough to take it out of service, said Alaska Airlines and Port of Seattle officials. Four passengers - three adults and one minor - were on board at the time, but no injuries were reported.
A Menzies employee had accidentally put a tow tug in reverse, pushing the plane forward and damaging the boarding door. At the same time, the baggage belt loader was still against the plane. When the plane was pushed, the baggage belt was pushed against the engine.
Flight 808 from Anchorage was making a stopover at Sea-Tac Airport before continuing on to Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport.
Alaska Airlines, which has a maintenance facility at Sea-Tac, had service crews investigating the extent of damage to the plane.
The incident comes fresh on the heels of a similar incident at Sea-Tac. On Dec. 26, an Alaska Airlines MD-80 heading for Burbank, Calif., lost cabin pressure at 26,000 feet because of a foot-long gash in its fuselage.
Investigators said a Menzies Aviation ramp worker had struck the airplane with a baggage-handling vehicle while it was at the gate, but did not immediately report the accident. The hit caused a crease in the airplane's aluminum skin, which opened up to a 12- by 6-inch gash as the plane reached 26,000 feet.
The plane landed normally and none of the passengers was injured.
An Alaska Airlines jet at Sea-Tac International Airport was taken out of commission Thursday after a tow tug collided with it.
They had better get thier asses in gear or there is going to be some real trouble very very soon. The local media is on AS and Menzies like a fat girl on a pork chop.
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