Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900ER skids off taxiway in Anchorage

Reports of an incident involving an Alaska Airlines jet at Anchorage Airport have surfaced in which the plane skidded off the taxiway and ended up in a ditch.

While there have been several incidents in the past in which airplanes full of passengers have skidded off runways and taxiways, in the latest case, the aircraft was thankfully empty.

On January 8, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900ER aircraft was involved in an incident at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC). According to reports, it was being taken to a parking spot when it skidded off a taxiway and ended up in a ditch.

According to Alaska’s News Source, two mechanics were in charge of taking the plane to its parking spot when the aircraft accidentally steered off course. The 737 was empty, and thankfully, the incident did not involve any injuries.

Shannon McCarthy, communications director for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, said that the incident took place in an area that did not affect the normal operations of the airport. She also categorized the episode to be minor and was quoted as saying,

“These kinds of incidents do happen from time to time, this is what we would consider a stage one — or level one — incident.”

Because of icy conditions at many airports across the United States, there was speculation that ice may have contributed to the 737 skidding off the taxiway. However, McCarthy said that ice had no role in the latest incident.

In the images circulating online, the plane's fuselage looks unharmed, but the nose landing gear has visible damage. Alaska Airlines is reportedly working with authorities to determine the cause of this incident. Simple Flying has also contacted the carrier for a statement.

The aircraft involved in the incident was a Boeing 737-900ER registered as N215AK. Per ch-aviation, it was delivered to Alaska Airlines in March 2019. As of July 2024, it has accumulated more than 19,000 flight hours across 6,98 flight cycles.

Data from Flightradar24 revealed that N215AK had arrived in Anchorage from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) as flight AS143.

Before that, it had completed a return service between Seattle and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). At the time of writing, it was still in Anchorage.

Alaska Airlines operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet, with the Boeing 737-900ER variant forming the bulk of its fleet. According to ch-aviation, the carrier has 79 737-900ER, of which 77 are in active service.

The current incident took place when the aircraft was being taken to a parking bay after all occupants had disembarked. But there have been other incidents in the past when airplanes have skidded off runways and taxiways during active flights after landing or before takeoff.

Last month, an American Eagle Embraer ERJ-145 touched down at Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, Michigan, and then slid off a taxiway amid a snowstorm.

On December 11, 2024, an Allied Air Cargo freighter aircraft overran the runway at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV) in Abuja, Nigeria.

The Boeing 737-400 freighter suffered a landing gear failure after it touched down, causing the aircraft to overrun the main runway. Five crew members were on the aircraft, and all were safely evacuated with the help of the emergency crew.

One of the most talked-about incidents last year was that of a United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, operating a flight between Memphis International Airport (MEM) and Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), that slid off the runway while landing .

The plane’s deceleration down the runway was not according to the pilots’ expectations. The captain noticed that the runway awareness and advisory system (RAAS) indicated that there was 1,000 ft (304.8 m) of runway left.

The pilot flying responded with additional pressure to the brakes and as the aircraft approached the runway's end, the captain attempted to turn onto the adjacent taxiway with the steering tiller and rudder pedals while still aggressively applying pressure to the brakes.