Another Alaska jet damaged on the ground at Sea-Tac

An Alaska Airlines 737 jet was taken out of service today after it hit baggage loading equipment and the jetway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The plane was connected to a push tug, which tows planes into and out of gates, at the time of the incident. An employee from Menzies Aviation apparently pushed the plane into a baggage belt loader and the jetway, said Amanda Tobin, an Alaska Airlines spokeswoman.

"Preliminary information tells us there was a (Menzies) employee operating that tug at the time of the incident," Tobin said.

A Menzies employee also was responsible for damaging an Alaska Airlines MD-80 at Sea-Tac on Dec. 26. The employee did not report the incident and the plane, operating as flight 536 destined for Burbank, Calif., was allowed to depart.

The damage subsequently caused a 1-foot by 6-inch rupture in the fuselage when the plane was at 26,000 feet, causing the cabin to lose pressure.

Today, flight 808 destined for Dallas-Fort Worth was in the process of boarding when the accident occurred around 11:30 a.m., Tobin said.

Four passengers were on board at the time of the incident, but no one was injured. The 737-700 was taken out of service and "is immediately going to be thoroughly inspected and the extent of the damage assessed," Tobin said.

Tobin said passengers would be put on another plane to Dallas-Fort Worth.

David Bowermaster: 206-464-2724 or dbowermaster@seattletimes.com