On Wednesday afternoon, 8 January 2025, two Alaska Airlines mechanics inadvertently taxied a Boeing 737 into a ditch at Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport. The incident occurred at approximately 1:43 p.m. local time, as the mechanics were repositioning the aircraft after its arrival.
The aircraft was not occupied at the time of the taxiway excursion. The incident took place in a region of the airport which was away from active taxiways and runways. There was no impact on airport operations as a result.
Alaksa Airlines Anchorage Taxiway Incident
The Boeing 737-900, a six-year-old aircraft belonging to Alaska Airlines, had arrived in Anchorage Ted Stevens (ANC) earlier that morning. It had been conducting a regular scheduled service from Seattle.
While moving the aircraft, the mechanics accidentally steered it off the taxiway and into an adjacent shallow ditch.
Photos from the scene show visible damage to the aircraft’s nose landing gear assembly. The starboard engine nacelle has some to rest on snowy ground.
A spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Transportation spoke on the incident, describing it as “pretty minor” and stating that “such occurrences happen occasionally”.
No injuries were reported, and no flights were disrupted due to the incident. The Alaska Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the incident.
Airline personnel are now working out how to remove the aircraft from its location.
Anchorage Weather Conditions
According to the National Weather Service, Anchorage was experiencing freezing rain on 10 January 2025. A Freezing Rain Advisory was in effect until 10.00am local time, with road conditions already deteriorating in portions of the area.
Anchorage experiences considerable snowfall throughout the winter months, with an average annual snowfall ranging from 60 to 80 inches. This can vary significantly year by year, influenced by various atmospheric conditions.
December and January are typically the months experiencing the heaviest snowfalls.
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