As passengers were exiting a Southwest Airlines flight at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport the end of the jet bridge connected to the plane fell 6 to 8 feet, but no one was injured.
About half of the passengers – 60 people – had left the plane when the end of the walkway dropped on Tuesday, said airport spokeswoman Christina Faine. It was unclear how many passengers might have been on it at the time.
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.
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The plane, operating as Flight 570, had arrived from Phoenix and was supposed to continue on to Chicago's Midway International Airport, according to The Associated Press.
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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