What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Wednesday, October 27, 2010, at approximately 0715 pacific daylight time, a Boeing 737-900 aircraft registered as N309AS and operated by Alaska airlines, inc. (Alaska), as flight 660, was being pushed back from gate D-1 at the Seattle Tacoma international airport, seatac, Washington, for a scheduled flight to dallas, Texas. The aircraft was operated under title 14 code of federal regulations part 121 as a passenger flight carrying 139 passengers with a crew of six and was on an instrument flight rules flight plan. During the push-back, the right winglet of flight 660 struck the leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer of another Alaska Boeing 737, registered as N302AS and which was parked at gate C-9 with no passengers reported on board. Both aircraft were in the non-movement area of the airport and flight 660 was in communication with the port of Seattle ramp controller. There is no report of injuries from this incident. The passengers on flight 660 were deplaned on the ramp with the use of external air stairs and were transported back to the terminal. Both aircraft were removed from service. The collision caused damage to the trailing edge of the winglet on N309AS and created a 6 inch gash approximately 12 feet outboard from the fuselage in the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer of N302AS. The winglet appears to require replacement. Weather conditions at seatac at the time of the incident may have been a factor in the incident. The incident occurred at 0715, while sunrise was at 0746. Morning twilight conditions existed in the gate area.Alaska is based in Seattle, Washington. The company holds air carrier certificate ASAA802A and their certificate holding district office is the Alaska airlines cmo in seatac, Washington. Alaska contracts with menzies, inc. (menzies) for ground and pushback services at the airport. Both aircraft were removed from service and the tug impounded for inspection. Alaska airlines/contractor ramp training proram under review.
As the FAA filed it
ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2010, AT APPROXIMATELY 0715 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BOEING 737-900 AIRCRAFT REGISTERED AS N309AS AND OPERATED BY ALASKA AIRLINES, INC. (ALASKA), AS FLIGHT 660, WAS BEING PUSHED BACK FROM GATE D-1 AT THE SEATTLE TACOMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SEATAC, WASHINGTON, FOR A SCHEDULED FLIGHT TO DALLAS, TEXAS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED UNDER TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 121 AS A PASSENGER FLIGHT CARRYING 139 PASSENGERS WITH A CREW OF SIX AND WAS ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN. DURING THE PUSH-BACK, THE RIGHT WINGLET OF FLIGHT 660 STRUCK THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER OF ANOTHER ALASKA BOEING 737, REGISTERED AS N302AS AND WHICH WAS PARKED AT GATE C-9 WITH NO PASSENGERS REPORTED ON BOARD. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE NON-MOVEMENT AREA OF THE AIRPORT AND FLIGHT 660 WAS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE PORT OF SEATTLE RAMP CONTROLLER. THERE IS NO REPORT OF INJURIES FROM THIS INCIDENT. THE PASSENGERS ON FLIGHT 660 WERE DEPLANED ON THE RAMP WITH THE USE OF EXTERNAL AIR STAIRS AND WERE TRANSPORTED BACK TO THE TERMINAL. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE REMOVED FROM SERVICE.THE COLLISION CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE WINGLET ON N309AS AND CREATED A 6 INCH GASH APPROXIMATELY 12 FEET OUTBOARD FROM THE FUSELAGE IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER OF N302AS. THE WINGLET APPEARS TO REQUIRE REPLACEMENT.WEATHER CONDITIONS AT SEATAC AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN THE INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 0715, WHILE SUNRISE WAS AT 0746. MORNING TWILIGHT CONDITIONS EXISTED IN THE GATE AREA.ALASKA IS BASED IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. THE COMPANY HOLDS AIR CARRIER CERTIFICATE ASAA802A AND THEIR CERTIFICATE HOLDING DISTRICT OFFICE IS THE ALASKA AIRLINES CMO IN SEATAC, WASHINGTON. ALASKA CONTRACTS WITH MENZIES, INC. (MENZIES) FOR GROUND AND PUSHBACK SERVICES AT THE AIRPORT. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE REMOVED FROM SERVICE AND THE TUG IMPOUNDED FOR INSPECTION. ALASKA AIRLINES/CONTRACTOR RAMP TRAINING PRORAM UNDER REVIEW.