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Posted on 12/27/2005 6:34:42 PM PST by paulat
Hole found in Alaska plane
05:30 PM PST on Tuesday, December 27, 2005 KING5.com
Investigators: Problems spike after ramp work outsourced
SEATTLE – An Alaska Airlines plane was forced to return to Seattle Monday after a gash in the plane’s fuselage caused the aircraft to lose pressurization.
The incident began when a ramp worker hit the plane with a baggage cart or baggage belt machine, according to National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Jim Struhsaker.
The accident created a crease in the skin of the plane which opened up into a hole when the pressure on the plane changed at 26,000 feet.
The employee told the agency that although the vehicle had touched the plane, he was not aware that he had dented it.
“At that time in the driving rain it did not appear to be significant to him,” Stuhsaker said.
According to Alaska Airlines and accounts provided to KING 5 News by passengers, flight 536 took off from Sea-Tac at 3:50 p.m., bound for Burbank, Calif.
Alaska Airlines flight 536 was forced to return to Sea-Tac Monday after it lost cabin pressure. Passenger Jeremy Hermanns took this snapshot of the scene after the oxygen masks had dropped down.
About 10 or 20 minutes into the flight, there was a loud noise and the cabin lost pressure. The plane then descended rapidly before returning to Sea-Tac, said Caroline Boren, a spokeswoman for Alaska Airlines.
Passenger accounts of the incident paint a scary picture.
“I could feel that obviously my ears popping and that's not a good symbol and that didn't go away and then it got hard to breathe and then whoosh all the compression in the plane was lost. We totally decompressed,” said passenger Jeremy Hermanns.
He said everyone on board scrambled to get their masks on and then the engine noise became very loud.
“We knew that something was going on … it was definitely frightening. It wasn't something I wanted to do again,” he said.
Jeremy Hermanns shot this image of himself with his oxygen mask on after the plane he was on lost cabin pressure.
Hermann’s believes, nevertheless that the crew handled the situation well.
“I'm just very glad that the pilots and the crew and everybody handled it so well,” he said.
It didn't matter what type of bump... even if you just brushed it with any object.
I can see that if this is also the case with this company, the ramp ape didn't want to lose his job.
The unfortunate thing is; The hiring of unqualified personell. Sure anyone can stack bags inside a belly, drive a tug and push carts. But it takes a special person to understand aircraft and have a passion for for it. It isn't just a job, but a serious responsibility.
Damage to the airplane like this during baggage loading is supposed to be the highest maintenance and repair cost for any airline. This type of injury to the plane needs to be eliminated before they start flying the composite bodies of the 787. So I'll bet these incidents with Alaska are being taken very seriously by other airlines as well.
Fired? The guy should be convicted and go to jail for not immediately reporting the incident.
Oh I guess the slugs that forgot to install the O-rings on an Eastern Airlines L-1011 (obviously some time ago) engine that caused it to seize were nonunion. NOT! The communist union fought to protect them. There is no quality benefit of hiring union labor in fact my experience has always (-1)been the opposite. Those who must compete for their jobs do better. The "(-1)" was for a contractor who specialized in moving industrial equipment between production shifts and had a unionized crew. They were great but I don't think the union label was the reason.
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Alaska Airlines is not an Alaska corporation, nor is the majority of its business in Alaska. However, when coming to Fairbanks there are not a lot of choices in carrier. Alaska Airlines has a very fine attitude when they fly in Alaska and are friendly and folksy rather than coldly professional on the Anchorage-Fairbanks leg. They like their Alaskan customers.
Oh, I agree. The point I was making is that, under no circumstances were any ramp equipment to be within 3 feet of the AC, not including the belt loader... which we had rubber bumbers to protect the AC, but those were not to touch the ACwith in inches. Made unloading a bit tougher, but we did not want a delay at the gate because my crew was stupid. I always had my bags loaded on time, it was the ticket darlings that held up the door time...
The last I remember about Alaska Air is that it was owned by AMR, as well as Wings West (if they still fly) American and American Eagle.
I gave up on Delta this year. Customer service in the simple things like just being a helpful flight attendant have been lacking in my last three flights with them
Delta stopped coming to Fairbanks a few years ago. They were pretty good about things. If you ask me, they were a little adventurous when in Alaska, wannabee bush pilots.
Dittos. I've noticed Alaska Airlines has gone downhill in the last few years. It now appears that these outsourced bozos won't just lose your luggage but they run into the planes without a safety inspection afterwards. My sister works for Alaska in Burbank, guess I'll have to give her another call. HA! Hire back your own ramp crew, Alaska!
And they are always on the flights I'm on. Just once I would like to have an empty seat next to me om Alaska Airlines. Like it used to be 5-6 years ago.
Red eye, Mid afternoon, Evening. Doesn't matter the planes are always full.
Yeah, yeah, I know they make more money on full flights. They need more 900s (the rear exit window seats over the wing have a great feature...the seat directly in front of them is taken out so it's almost like first class leg room)
I never one said it was an Alaska corp, nor did I ever once say it did a majority of its business in Alaska. I live in Seattle.
Doesn't seem so, or I'm missing something.
From their website:
Corporate Profile
Alaska Air Group, Inc., is the holding company for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, Seattle-based carriers that collectively serve more than 70 destinations in the Western U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Alaska Air Group was organized as a Delaware corporation in 1985.
Alaska Airlines, Inc., an Alaska corporation founded in 1932, is noted for its award-winning customer service. The airline, which accounts for about 80% of Air Group revenues, provides scheduled air service to 38 cities in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, and British Columbia, plus Chicago and five destinations in Mexico. Its major hubs are Anchorage, Seattle, Portland, and Los Angeles.
Horizon Air Industries, Inc., a Washington corporation organized in 1981, is similarly noted for outstanding customer service. Horizon accounts for about 20% of Air Group revenues and provides air transportation to more than 40 destinations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, Arizona, Colorado, British Columbia, and Alberta. Its major hubs are Seattle, Portland, and Boise.
Only cause I wasn't worried about flying Alaska... I live on the east coast
Don't be sorry, this is an eye opener. Alaska is the only airlines I fly, and I'm planning to fly to AK this spring. If I'd been on that flight, I'd have a dead dog.
About 2 years ago at SeaTac I watched a rookie run into a tugger with one of the baggage conveyers. He did some damage to the tugger, a baggage cart, and to the conveyer. He got off, looked around, and then quickly walked away. I'm sure he probably filled out an incident report.
At least it was the plane that landed safely, and not the hole. The AP version of this story begins with the sentence: "A foot-long hole in the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines jet en route from Seattle to Burbank, Calif., was forced to make an emergency landing Wednesday."
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Emergency-Landing.html
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