Two Commercial Airplanes Collide At American Airport

Two fully-boarded commercial flights collided on Saturday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

“Winglets from two Alaska Airlines planes collided,” FOX 13 Seattle noted.

Alaska Airlines planes clip wings at Seattle-Tacoma airport, prompting FAA probe https://t.co/6r5PYdik0m

— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) May 18, 2025

Per FOX 13 Seattle:

Alaska Airlines Flights 1190 and 1094 were pushing back from their gates when their wings collided just after 1 p.m. on May 17, causing delays at the airport while officials responded.

Initial reports from the Federal Aviation Administration indicate one flight was bound for Orange County, California, while another was headed to the state’s capital in Sacramento.

None of the passengers appear to have reported injuries. However, all passengers on both flights had to deplane and board two new Alaska Air planes.

The incident happened when carts — known as ground-service tugs — were pushing two Alaska Airlines planes from their gates and the wings touched. https://t.co/IcX6Olpp3M

— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) May 18, 2025

“On Saturday, May 17, ground-service tugs were pushing back two Alaska Airlines aircraft from their gates when the winglets touched at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. There were no injuries. The flights were swapped to other aircraft and have already departed. We sincerely apologize to our guests for the delay and inconvenience,” an Alaska Airlines representative said, according to FOX 13 Seattle.

From The Seattle Times:

The two California-bound planes were a Boeing 737-800 and a 737-900, which both hold around 180 people, according to flight records. One was flying to Orange County, the other to Sacramento.

Passengers were switched to different planes and have since departed.

“We sincerely apologize to our guests for the delay and inconvenience,” the spokesperson said.

In February, a Japan Airlines plane taxiing at Sea-Tac after landing from Tokyo struck a parked Delta Air Lines flight that was being deiced before taking off for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The two planes, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and a Boeing 737 Next Generation, were significantly damaged.

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