Jet Bridge With Passengers On It Drops Several Feet At Seattle Airport

A jet bridge leading from a terminal to an airplane at a Seattle airport dropped several feet as passengers were crossing it on Tuesday.

No injuries were reported after the jet bridge dropped as passengers were leaving the Southwest Airlines flight at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the Associated Press reported. Nearly half of the plane's 60 passengers had already exited the flight when the walkway dropped 6 to 8 feet near the part it attaches to the plane.

Another stairway was placed on the other side of the plane to allow the remaining passengers to get off, airport spokeswoman Christina Faine told the AP.

The incident at gate B14 was "a mechanical failure that made the jet bride drop six to eight feet," Faine said according to The Seattle Times.

"We're thankful to report that there were no injuries today at Sea-Tac International Airport following an issue with a passenger jetbridge related to flight 570 that arrived from Phoenix," Faine said.

The plane was taken out of service to be inspected for any damages. Flight 570 was supposed to go on to Chicago's Midway International Airport. The airport is to make arrangements for the affected customers, Faine told the newspaper.

The jet bridge malfunction is the latest in a string of incidents involving airplanes. The engine of a Cobham Aviation aircraft burst into flames moments after it took off from an Australian airport on April 29. The pilot turned the plane around and landed safely at Perth Airport. None of the passengers or crew were injured.

Another incident occurred in mid-April when a man tried to open the door of a Sacramento-bound flight as it was 30,000 feet in the air. Passengers tackled the man to the ground before he could open the door. The flight was rerouted to Omaha, Nebraska where the man was taken into custody.

Before both incidents, Malaysian Airlines flight 370 vanished without a trace after it took off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8. Investigators believe the 239-passenger and crew plane crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, but there is still no sign of the aircraft's remains.

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