National Transportation Safety Board Reveals Cause of Alaska Airlines Flight Landing Incident
After nearly two years, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on the Alaska Airlines flight landing incident. The report points to “incorrect” maintenance work as the cause of the dramatic landing.
The flight, originating from Seattle, Washington, experienced a hard touchdown in Santa Ana, Calif., during Tropical Storm Hilary after the left main landing gear collapsed on touchdown. A passenger captured video of the plane slamming into the ground at high speed, with sparks flying as the left wing dragged along the tarmac.
Investigators found that a “fatigue crack” of a metal trunnion pin, a component of the left landing gear, was the root cause of the incident. The crack resulted from excessive grinding during a maintenance overhaul in 2018, leading to heat damage to the metal. Over time, the crack grew and ultimately caused the pin to fracture during landing.
The NTSB report highlighted the impact of heat exposure from grinding during maintenance, emphasizing that even mild exposure can lead to cracking and component failure. The trunnion pin had undergone more than 4,000 landing cycles since the 2018 maintenance, with the crack likely present for approximately 800 cycles.
Despite substantial damage to the aircraft, all 112 passengers and crew members were able to deplane safely without injury. Alaska Airlines expressed gratitude for their passengers’ patience and apologized for the inconvenience caused by the incident.
Alaska Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
