ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Two Alaska Airlines mechanics steered a Boeing 737 off a runway Wednesday afternoon at Alaska’s largest airport. No injuries were reported.

The plane went off the Juliet Runway and into a ditch at approximately 1:43 p.m., according to the Department of Transportation.

Shannon McCarthy, communications director for the DOT, claims no passengers were on the plane at the time of the maneuver and no injuries were sustained.

The Department of Transportation maintains no passengers were on the plane and no one was hurt.
The Department of Transportation maintains no passengers were on the plane and no one was hurt.(Department of Transportation)

“These kinds of incidents do happen from time to time, this is what we would consider a stage one — or level one — incident,” McCarthy said. “It’s pretty minor.”

Alaska Airlines communications director Tim Thompson said in response to a request for comment that a maintenance team for the airline was repositioning the plane when it “inadvertently exited a taxiway” on the way to a place to park it.

Thompson said the airline would work with authorities to see if there is any damage to the 737.

McCarthy says fortunately, the plane was maneuvered into the ditch in a testing area, meaning there will be no flight delays or impact to operations.

She maintains the situation was reported right away there was a swift response.

Alaska Airlines will be in charge of the removal plan, but it’s unknown when the plane will be able to be removed from the ditch. The plane’s condition is also currently unknown.

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