Menzies Aviation has fired two of its workers involved in the collision of two Alaska Airlines 737-900s on the ramp at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport last week. A flight leaving for Dallas was being pushed back by Menzies employees when the tip of its right wing struck the left rear tail of an empty Alaska Airlines aircraft that had been scheduled to fly to Minneapolis.
A Menzies tug driver who was pushing the Dallas-bound plane pushed it too far, according to Alaska Airlines spokesman Paul McElroy. One of two wing walkers, Menzies employees who walk beside the planes, saw the aircraft coming close to a second parked airplane and signalled the tug driver to stop. But the tug driver couldn't see the wing walker and the winglet of the Dallas-bound plane struck the tail of the empty jet.
There were no injuries, and passengers were taken off the Dallas-bound plane and returned to the terminal.
McElroy said four Menzies employees were involved in the accident and two were fired, the tug driver and one of the two wing walkers. The four workers underwent a drug and alcohol test, which is standard procedure, and the results are not being released, McElroy said.
The right winglet on the Dallas flight was damaged, but it was repaired the same day of the accident. The other plane had more serious damage and is still being repaired, but McElroy said it should be back in service today.