ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU/Gray News) – Two Alaska Airlines mechanics steered a Boeing 737 off a taxiway at Alaska’s largest airport earlier this week.

According to the Department of Transportation, the plane went off the taxiway and into a ditch Wednesday afternoon at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.

Shannon McCarthy, communications director for the department, said no passengers were on the plane at the time of the maneuver and no injuries were reported.

“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 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 aircraft.

The plane was maneuvered into the ditch in a testing area, meaning there were no flight delays or impact on operations and the situation was reported right away, McCarthy said.

Alaska Airlines will be in charge of the removal plan.

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