SEATAC, Wash. – A jet bridge dropped several feet Tuesday as passengers were exiting a Southwest Airlines flight at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but no one was injured, officials said.
The end of the walkway, where it would have been attached to the plane, fell 6 to 8 feet, said airport spokeswoman Christina Faine. It was unclear how many passengers might have been on it at the time. About half of the passengers – 60 people – had left the plane, she said.
The cause was described as a mechanical failure. The remaining passengers left by a stairway brought to the other side of the plane, Faine said. Images of the fallen jet bridge showed it resting on or near the tarmac.
The plane, operating as Flight 570, had arrived from Phoenix and was supposed to continue on to Chicago’s Midway International Airport.
Michelle Agnew, a spokeswoman for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, said in an email that the company is thankful no one was hurt. The plane was taken out of service pending inspections for possible damage, she said.
The airline was working to accommodate passengers whose travel plans were affected, she said.
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