Alaska Airlines Planes Clip Wings, Prompting FAA Investigation

The Federal Aviation Administration is probing an incident involving the wings of two Alaska Airlines planes clipping each other at a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport gate on Saturday. No injuries were reported on either plane. 

The incident took place at around 12:15 PM local time and involved Alaska Airlines Flights 1190 and 1094. Ground-service tugs were pushing the two Alaska Airlines planes. Shortly after, the planes’ winglets touched. This delayed both flights as officials responded.  

There were no injuries, according to the airline’s spokesperson. Shortly after, the passengers on the two planes deplaned and were transferred to other aircraft. 

Alaska Airlines Planes Clip Wings

The Alaska Airlines spokesperson said, “On Saturday, May 17, ground-service tugs were pushing back two Alaska Airlines aircraft from their gates when the winglets touched at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. There were no injuries. The flights were swapped to other aircraft and have already departed. We sincerely apologize to our guests for the delay and inconvenience.”

Orange County and Sacramento-Bound Flights

In the FAA’s initial reports, one of the flights was bound for Sacramento, while the other was headed to Orange County, California. The FAA also released a statement following the incident involving the Alaska Airlines planes’ clipped wings. According to the agency, air traffic control is not responsible for movements in the gate area. 

Incidents Involving Clipped Wings

There were similar incidents that involved clipped wings in recent months. This month, two United Airlines planes clipped wings at San Francisco International Airport. And less than a month earlier, two American Airlines regional jets—one of which was carrying members of Congress—had a similar incident at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

In the incident involving the United Airlines planes, the FAA said in a statement that it took place “in an area where air traffic controllers do not communicate with flight crews.”