On January 26, two Alaska Airlines planes suffered minor damage when their tails scraped the tarmac during takeoff from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The issue was caused by a software bug that gave the pilots the impression that the aircraft was 20,000 pounds lighter than it was due to inaccurate take-off performance weight data.
The error occurred after a vendor software update that caused DynamicSource, the Swedish software brand used by Alaska Airlines, to malfunction.
Of the 727 Alaska flights that day, only 30 had incorrect data, and only two planes scraped their tails. However, Alaska Airlines initiated a nationwide stoppage of all aircraft to check for the issue’s occurrence.
Despite the mishap, both flights landed safely, with the passengers unaware of the incident. Alaska Airlines said both planes were well within safety limits.
An anonymous Alaska Airlines pilot praised the company for swiftly dealing with the error and switching to a manual input of weight data. Meanwhile, Billy Nolen, the acting FAA administrator, testified before the Senate Commerce Committee and defended the safety of airline travel in the United States.
»Two planes leaving Seattle collide on the runway during takeoff«