Passenger exits plane onto wing at Seattle-Tacoma airport

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Simple Flying | Simple Flying

By Sky Industry News

Dec 23, 2024

Alaska Airlines experienced an unusual incident on December 22, 2024, when a passenger opened the emergency exit door upon arrival at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The event occurred on Flight 323, which had traveled from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.

As the Boeing 737-900ER was taxiing to gate 9, a passenger exited the aircraft onto the wing. An eyewitness reported to KIRO 7 News that "a passenger, upon arrival at a gate from [an] inbound Milwaukee flight, opened an emergency exit and walked out on the wing."

The airport's spokesperson explained that the passenger acted due to anxiety. After intervention by local fire and crisis teams, it was decided not to press charges. However, potential violations of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules prompted notifications to both the FAA and FBI.

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Alaska Airlines acknowledged the situation in a statement: "This evening, upon arrival from Milwaukee in Seattle, there was an incident on Alaska Airlines Flight 323 involving a disruptive guest. The matter was safely resolved. We are working with our crew and airport officials to gather more details about what may have transpired. We thank our employees for their swift response and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our guests."

This is not Alaska Airlines' first notable incident involving a Boeing 737. In January 2024, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 experienced a mid-flight door blow-out en route from Portland to Ontario. Although all passengers survived, three were treated for minor injuries.

Flight 323 was operated by N282AK, one of Alaska Airlines' fleet of Boeing 737-900ERs delivered in November 2017. The aircraft had completed several flights prior to this incident.

Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport serves as one of four weekly routes between Milwaukee and Seattle operated by Alaska Airlines without direct competition but with various one-stop options through other airlines.

In recent years, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport has seen recovery in passenger numbers post-pandemic but remains below its peak traffic levels from previous years.