Alaska isn't the only airline with ground-safety troubles
On Tuesday in Chicago, a United Airlines jet was damaged on the runway when it collided with a baggage loader.
On Monday in El Paso, Texas, a mechanic was killed when he was pulled into the right engine of a Continental Airlines 737 while checking an oil leak.
And Jan. 12 in Philadelphia, a Southwest Airlines 737 was damaged when a baggage loader banged into one of its engines.
Airline accidents on the ground are so common that aviation experts have a term for them: "ramp rash." It's hard to quantify them because reporting requirements are vague, but a panel of safety experts who studied the problem in 2004 estimated ground accidents cost the world's airlines $5 billion a year.
Although several Alaska Airlines mishaps have made headlines in the past month, national and local aviation experts say accidents are a problem for all airlines.
Seattle residents and Alaska passengers have taken a keen interest in what happens to aircraft on the ground since Dec. 26, when a ramp worker hit an Alaska Airlines MD-80 with a baggage loader. The worker failed to report the accident. Flight 536 was allowed to depart, and the small crease in the fuselage eventually ruptured into a 1-foot-by-6-inch hole, causing the cabin to depressurize at 26,000 feet. The plane returned safely to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The worker responsible for that incident was an employee of Menzies Aviation, the contractor Alaska hired in May to handle its baggage and other ramp operations at Sea-Tac. The airline hired Menzies after laying off 472 union workers who previously handled the duties.
John Fulford, Menzies' vice president of U.S. operations, said Menzies is emphasizing the need for its workers to report any contact with planes. Citing figures from the International Air Transport Association, he said 7 percent of aircraft damage on the ground goes unreported every year.
"It's a serious problem, and we're working hard to correct it," Fulford said at a news briefing Thursday in Seattle.
Training is a key issue for Menzies, which has a significant employee turnover rate at Sea-Tac. Of about 450 employees working for the company in Seattle, roughly 200 — less than half — have had their jobs since the Alaska contract began in May.
But Alaska and Menzies are not alone in battling "ramp rash."
"It's a huge issue" for airlines, said Michael Ehl, director of operations for Sea-Tac.
"In addition to the amount of money that the carriers are having to spend to repair the aircraft, there's also this tremendous amount of lost revenue that's out there ...
"Every day that [a damaged] aircraft sits on the ground, there is an average loss of revenue of $50,000," Ehl said, citing Boeing statistics for narrow-body aircraft.
That's why airlines invest heavily in training, he said.
"The damage is extensive," agreed John Goglia, a former National Transportation Safety Board member and the chairman of the 2004 panel that studied ramp accidents.
"The fuel trucks ... lavatory trucks, catering trucks, belt loaders, tugs during push-backs — everybody that's around the airplane causes damage," he said.
Alaska has endured a flurry of high-profile ramp problems in recent weeks, including two other incidents at Sea-Tac.
But Goglia said it is hard to compare Alaska's experience with other airlines, because many dents and dings go unreported.
One reason: If the dollar value of the damage from any single incident does not exceed the insurance deductible on the plane — around $1 million for wide-body jets and $750,000 for narrow-body aircraft — airlines absorb the cost themselves and often don't report the incidents to insurers.
Likewise, not all ground damage gets reported to the Federal Aviation Administration.
"The category of 'reportable incidents' does not exist per se," said Mike Fergus, a spokesman for the FAA's Northwest Mountain region.
However, various sections of FAA regulations describe circumstances or events that are supposed to trigger a report.
Carriers must alert the agency if accidents "involve aircraft with intent to fly [not just being towed to another hangar or parking spot]; with passengers onboard; and/or aircraft structural damage potential," Fergus said.
Menzies executives defended the company's track record. They said the rate of collisions involving Menzies workers and Alaska jets at Sea-Tac is below the industry average, which they cited as one incident for every 2,000 airplanes serviced between flights. They also said the company's record in Seattle is equal to or better than the records at many of the other 91 airports where Menzies operates.
"We had a bad month in September; we had three hits" at Sea-Tac, said John Geddes, Menzies' company secretary.
The Seattle operation had two accidents per month in May, June and July; none in October; and one in November and December, he said.
Yet the one incident in December was the damage to Flight 536, which has brought more than 30 Menzies executives to Seattle and prompted Thursday's news conference.
Four senior executives, led by Fulford, are conducting a review of the Sea-Tac operation. The company also has brought 25 supervisors to Seattle from airports around the world to monitor workers on every shift.
"We operate a safe environment here in Seattle," Geddes said, "but it can always be better."
Times staff reporter Cheryl Phillips contributed to this report.
David Bowermaster: 206-464-2724 or dbowermaster@seattletimes.com
Since an Alaska Airlines MD-80 was damaged by a baggage loader at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Dec. 26, the FAA has received reports of at least six similar incidents at airports around the country, including one more at Sea-Tac and one in which a worker died.
Jan. 5, Seattle: An Alaska Airlines 737, parked at the gate, was accidentally pulled forward by a tug. The plane's fuselage was scratched in the accident, but no injuries were reported.
Jan. 7, Boston: An Astar Air 727 was struck on the right wing by a truck. The truck driver was taken to a hospital, but the extent of any injuries was not reported.
Jan. 8, Boise: A fuel truck ran into the engine of a United Airlines 737 that was parked at the gate. There were people on board at the time, but no injuries were reported.
Jan. 12, Philadelphia: A Southwest Airlines 737 was hit by a baggage loader as the jet was being moved into position on the ramp. The plane's engine cover was damaged. No injuries were reported.
Monday, El Paso, Texas: A mechanic was killed when he was pulled into the engine of a Continental Airlines 737 as he checked an oil leak.
Tuesday, Chicago: A United Airlines A319 collided at the gate with a baggage loader. One engine had minor damage. No one was injured.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration