Two Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft were involved in a wingtip collision at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) on Saturday, May 17, 2025. The incident occurred around 1:00 p.m. local time during the aircraft pushback process at the terminal gates. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the planes were operating as Flight 1190, bound for Orange County, California, and Flight 1094, headed to Sacramento, California. The collision took place when the winglets of the two aircraft made contact while being pushed back simultaneously by ground crews.
There were no injuries reported among the passengers or crew on either flight, and emergency services were not required at the scene. All passengers were safely deplaned and subsequently transferred to different aircraft to complete their journeys. The impacted Boeing 737s were taken out of service for inspection and evaluation, which temporarily disrupted normal operations at SEA and caused delays for multiple other flights scheduled through the afternoon.
Alaska Airlines issued a statement confirming that the two flights were immediately reassigned to alternate aircraft, and that customer itineraries were minimally impacted as the airline worked quickly to resume regular operations. Nevertheless, some services experienced residual delays due to gate congestion and the need for safety protocols following the incident.
The FAA has launched a formal investigation to determine the cause of the accident and evaluate whether operational or procedural lapses contributed to the collision. Alaska Airlines is fully cooperating with federal authorities to support the inquiry and ensure future preventive measures are implemented. This includes a review of ground handling procedures, communication protocols between ground crews and flight crews, and any contributing mechanical factors.
This incident is the latest in a string of ground collisions that have taken place at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in recent months. Earlier this year, a Japan Airlines aircraft clipped the tail of a stationary Delta Air Lines plane while taxiing. While no injuries were reported in that incident either, it raised concerns about congestion and movement coordination on the airfield during peak operational periods.
The FAA emphasized that safety remains the top priority and that all necessary steps will be taken to evaluate airport ground control measures and prevent future incidents. Alaska Airlines also reiterated its commitment to the highest safety standards for passengers and employees and stated that a full internal review is underway.
As the investigation continues, flight operations at Sea-Tac have returned to normal, but scrutiny over airport ground traffic procedures is likely to increase. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for any potential schedule changes and to allow additional time for travel during busy periods, especially while new safety measures are reviewed and implemented.
