Another trivial aircraft collision was caught on camera, this time at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. As a video has been making rounds on Instagram, many viewers have been quick to make a judgment on what could have happened to cause a moving vehicle to make contact with the Alaska Airlines aircraft.
Catch A Boeing By The Tail
Instagram accounts @airport_ramplife and @_aviation_things_ have shared clips online of a reported collision between an LSG Sky Chefs truck and an alleged Boeing 737-700 that was parked.
The footage shows security camera footage of the parked Alaska Airlines plane at night time. The truck drives from off-screen at around 25 to 30 miles per hour and doesn't show any signs of turning or slowing down as it approaches the plane. The truck then proceeds to drive behind the plane, in which the plane rumbles and shifts out of position. Like a trap, the plane's tail catches the truck, making it incapable of driving through. At the time of the accident, the plane's tug lights were on.
At least two crew members on the runway have witnessed the collision, with a ground coordinator in a yellow vest appearing surprised at the scene that took place about 30 feet away.
As of this writing, the video has garnered over 3,400 likes. Many were quick to chime in for what was to blame for this crash.
"Wing walker not paying attention but I betcha skychef driver was "distracted" aka 🤳," said @cesardaspawn.
"No beacon light wing walker not in the right spot and driver on the phone(more than likely)," retorted @cjacker316.
"It looks like they were towing it in. Looks like a guy walking away to chock the nose gear. Wing walker should have been in the service road though. Probably wouldn't of stop the truck but at least covers his ass," explained @david.schwartz.9066.
"could have been prevented had the wing walker paid attention 🤦🏻♀️😂," joked @caidi____.
"The wing walker should be by the roadway stopping traffic but that does (not) excuse the bad driving," chimed in @sam.digi.1
"The plane does not have its bicam connected and is outside the parking area," replied @muniz_uriel.
Driving Under The Finfluence
Instagram users have picked up on at least three red flags in the video. Firstly, the driver doesn't seem to be aware that the plane is in front of him. With what transpired, many users have dismissed this as a case of distracted driving, but another explanation could be that the driver miscalculated the truck clearance and figured the truck would be able to clear underneath the tail.
Secondly, the plane seemed to be parked too close to where other vehicles were driving. The truck was driving on what appeared to be a road for cars, and thus the driver likely didn't want to go off-road knowing there were cameras and onlookers around.
Finally, the other grounds coordinator in an orange vest was walking away from the plane as the collision took place. Users argued that the man likely would have been able to see the truck drive toward the plane had he not been turned around. Both coordinators at the scene didn't seem to hear the truck approaching, which is understandable knowing that a runway is often a noisy environment to work in.
At this time, it's not known what airport security or authorities have told the person who recorded and uploaded the footage. Alaska Airlines and LSG Sky Chefs have yet to comment publicly on the incident.
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