An Alaska Airlines Boeing MD-83 was forced to make an emergency descent and landing last month when it lost cabin pressure as a result of damage inflicted during ground handling.
The airline has increased supervision of its ramp services provider Menzies Aviation at Seattle Tacoma (SeaTac) airport after learning the actions of a Menzies employee.
Initial investigations into the 26 December incident by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have established that ramp equipment in the control of a Menzies employee made contact with the MD-83 before its departure from SeaTac for Burbank, California.
The employee did not report the incident at the time and said that he was unaware it had caused any damage, according to the NTSB, which says the ground incident damaged the skin of the aircraft, causing a 305mm (12in) long, 152mm wide hole to open up at altitude. This led to a loss of cabin pressurisation about 20min into the flight when the aircraft was at 26,000ft (flight level 260/7,930m), and the pilots initiated a rapid descent to return to SeaTac.
As a result of the incident, Alaska says it has immediately assigned a team to “completely review all incidents and make sure appropriate solutions are in place”. It is also assigning extra supervisory staff to monitor ramp operations in addition to the joint safety briefings it is conducting with Menzies.
Menzies senior managers, meanwhile, are conducting a complete review of the incidents that have occurred during Menzies’ maintenance contract as well as the company’s overall operation at SeaTac.
The incident is the latest in a string of challenges faced by Alaska since outsourcing its entire SeaTac ramp operation to Menzies in May, in a bid to save $13 million a year.
MARY KIRBY/PHILADELPHIA
Source: Flight International
