Two blundering aircraft mechanics ‘inadvertently’ taxied an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 into an icy ditch at Anchorage Ted Stevens Airport on Wednesday afternoon, according to the state’s Department of Transportation.
The 737-990 had arrived in Anchorage following a three-and-a-half-hour flight from Seattle in the early hours of January 8 but as mechanics tried to reposition the aircraft on Wednesday, they accidentally steered the plane into a ditch.
A photo shared by the Alaska State DOT of the plane stuck in the shallow ditch shows visible damage to the six-year-old plane’s front landing gear, as well as the starboard engine.
A spokesperson for the agency, however, downplayed the incident, describing it as “pretty minor” and saying it was something that “happens from time to time.”
The incident occurred in a part of the airport away from active operations and no flights were disrupted as a result of the accident. No passengers were onboard a the time of the accident and no injuries were reported.
Alaska Airlines will be responsible for the removal of the aircraft, and at that point, the plane can be assessed for damage. Unsurprisingly, Alaska Airlines has not assigned any scheduled flights to be operated by this aircraft in the coming days.
Although Ted Stevens is the largest passenger airport in Alaska, it is primarily known as a cargo airport, and as of 2023, was the fourth busiest cargo airport in the world.
Ted Stevens is a big base for FedEx and UPS, as well as Amazon’s Prime Air. One of the main advantages of Anchorage Airport is its far northerly geographical position, which allows it to act as a mid-way point for cargo traffic between the United States and Asia.
