From KING5:

SEATTLE - Alaska Airlines tells KING 5 News that two workers who were involved in a backing collision between two planes last week have been terminated by its ramp subcontractor Menzies Aviation.

In a statement, Alaska Airlines says procedures were not followed when the driver of the tug pushing the plane back from gate D-1 did not immediately stop when he lost sight of the wing walker monitoring the right wing of the aircraft. That wing walker also lost his job after he failed to pass signals to the tug driver in time to avoid the collision.

The airline and Menzies Aviation are not releasing the results of drug testing, which was conducted as it is for all transportation workers after an incident, citing employee confidentiality.

The accident occurred about 7:05 last Wednesday morning, when the vertical winglet at the end of the right wing of the Dallas bound jet was pushed into the horizontal stabilizer of a parked jet located at Gage C9. Passengers aboard the Dallas bound jet flight 660 said it looked like the planes were stuck together.

Alaska said, "The tug driver pushed the departing aircraft too far back and needed to make a sharp turn to compensate."

Menzies ramp personnel are now receiving additional safety briefings and oversight regarding pushback techniques.

The geography of the area at Sea-Tac Airport where the loaded flight was backed into an empty parked aircraft is particularly tight, as it's an area that forms a corner where the C and D concourses come together. Both planes involved were Boeing 737-900s, the longest 737s made. As a result, Alaska Airlines says it will no longer allow two 737-900s to be parked in that area at the same time, t least one will be a shorter jet such as a 737-400 or -700.

One of the involved was returned to service the afternoon of the accident. The second plane, which sustained a damaged stabilizer, has been getting repairs and should be ready to fly today.

Alaska airlines says ramp problems with Menzies aviation have been running at half the national rate, and that the ramp operations conducted by Menzies have helped propel the Airline into a 2nd place national ranking for on time performance.

But Menzies had a rough start starting in 2005, when it took over ramp operations at Sea-Tac, including an incident where a piece of baggage handling equipment gouged the side of an MD-80 jet that resulted in the plane losing pressure once it was airborne.

Two Menzies employees fired over Sea-Tac fender bender | KING5.com | Seattle Area Local News