Summary
On March 12, 2000, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-83 (N974AS) was involved in an accident near Seattle, WA. The accident resulted in 2 minor injuries, with 91 people uninjured out of 93 aboard. The aircraft sustained minor damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The flight crew's encounter with a suspicious device, which necessitated an emergency evacuation.
On March 11, 2000, about 1625 Pacific standard time, Alaska Airlines flight 444, a Boeing MD-83, N974AS, operated by Alaska Airlines, Inc., as a 14CFR121 scheduled passenger flight, made an emergency landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after a crew member found a suspicious device located in a passenger's backpack. Two flight crewmembers, three flight attendants. and 86 passengers were not injured; however, two passengers sustained minor injuries during the emergency evacuation. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight plan had been filed for the flight. The flight originated from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, with a planned destination of Ontario, California, approximately 30 minutes prior to the emergency landing.
This accident is documented in NTSB report SEA00IA050. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N974AS.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The flight crew's encounter with a suspicious device, which necessitated an emergency evacuation.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
On March 11, 2000, about 1625 Pacific standard time, Alaska Airlines flight 444, a Boeing MD-83, N974AS, operated by Alaska Airlines, Inc., as a 14CFR121 scheduled passenger flight, made an emergency landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after a crew member found a suspicious device located in a passenger's backpack. Two flight crewmembers, three flight attendants. and 86 passengers were not injured; however, two passengers sustained minor injuries during the emergency evacuation. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight plan had been filed for the flight. The flight originated from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, with a planned destination of Ontario, California, approximately 30 minutes prior to the emergency landing.
According to officials from the Federal Aviation Administration, a passenger on flight 444 inadvertently picked up a backpack containing a Modular Bomb System (MBS), a security testing device used for training security personnel. The passenger then boarded the airplane. During climb, a flight attendant discovered the device and reported it to the flight crew. The flight attendant said that there was a bag that looked like a bomb. The captain had the first officer verify the flight attendant's observation. The captain requested an emergency return to Seattle, and asked for emergency equipment to stand by. After landing, the airplane was directed to a remote location and the crew performed the emergency evacuation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA00IA050