On 05 February 2025, a concerning ground collision at Seattle-Takoma International Airport raised questions regarding aviation security. A taxiing Japan Airlines Boeing 787 collided with the tail of a stationary Delta Airlines Boeing 737. Authorities reported no injuries but passengers were required to deplane. Thus, the incident brought to light the deficiencies of the airport’s ground safety measures.
Ground collision: What happened?
The ground collision occurred at 10:17 AM Pacific Time between Japan Airlines Flight 68 arriving from Tokyo and Delta Flight 1921 which was preparing for deicing before its scheduled departure to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Addressing the incident, Delta said:
“While in sequence for deicing, the tail of a Delta 737 aircraft reportedly made contact with a wing tip of another airline’s aircraft. There are no reports of injuries for crew or customers on the flight, and we apologise for the experience and delay in travels.”
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Japan Airlines Flight 68’s right wing “made contact” with Delta Airlines Flight 1921’s tail. The first report indicated that both planes were taxiing simultaneously but the airport later made clear that only the Japan Airlines aircraft was moving when the accident occurred. It is also worth mentioning that the collision took place in an area lacking Air traffic control. Overall, although the incident caused a temporary flight delay, Seattle-Takoma airport assured travellers that its impact on operations was minimal since the incident happened in a specified taxi lane.
Safety Measures and Similar Incidents
This incident comes at a time when aviation safety is under strict inspection. The FAA has made nearly $12 billion in grant funding available to airports across the US as per the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. Seattle-Takoma International Airport was allocated over $178 million, $31.5 million of which has received Congress’s approval for investment at the airport’s terminals.
In addition, FAA data indicated that at least 30 runway incursions occurred at the airport since January 2019 including two narrowly avoided collisions that happened just days apart last year. On 10 September 2024 a Boeing 737 had to abort its landing after an Airbus 321 passed through the Runway 16 taxiway while the 737 was crossing by. Later on 13 September 2024, the FAA stated that Air traffic control did not provide runway separation between a Boeing 777 and a Boeing 739. The statement mentioned that the 739 aircraft accessed Runway 16L as the 777 was beginning to take off. Both of these events escaped collision but, similarly to the recent incident, caused significant concerns for potential devastating future tragedies. Following this unfortunate event, travellers were advised to check the status of their flights and be aware of possible cancellations.
Will this incident added to the previous near accidents serve as a wake-up call, in order to invest more in ground safety measures at the airport? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
