# AS | Alaska Airlines

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Alaska Airlines flight landing in Sitka.

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Alaska Air pilots honored for aborting Sitka takeoff
SITKA RUNWAY: Official praises their "swift action, clear thinking."
The Associated Press
Published: August 22nd, 2011 09:01 PM
Last Modified: August 22nd, 2011 09:01 PM
http://www.adn.com/2011/08/22/202607...nored-for.html

SITKA -- Two Alaska Airlines pilots who aborted a jet takeoff from Sitka after an eagle strike last year have been honored by a pilots association.

Captain Steve Cleary of Federal Way, Wash., and First Officer Michael Hendrix of Seattle received the Superior Airmanship Award last week from the Air Line Pilots Association International, the world's largest pilots union.

"Their swift action, clear thinking and excellent teamwork kept everyone aboard safe," said Paul Stuart, chairman of the union's unit representing Alaska pilots. "Situations like this are what we, as professional pilots, train for, and they did their jobs perfectly."

The Sitka Sentinel reported that the community's Rocky Gutierrez Airport has a single 6,500-foot, rock-rimmed runway nearly surrounded by the Gulf of Alaska. Pilots often refer to it as USS Sitka because it resembles the deck of an aircraft carrier.

Nearby mountains cause winds to swirl, sometimes producing tailwinds at both ends of the runway.

The weather in Sitka on Aug. 8, 2010, featured a low-pressure system off the coast that had pulled thick rain clouds over Baranof Island and the airport.

Cleary and Hendrix were at the controls of Boeing 737-400, a twin-engine jet, for Alaska Airlines Flight 68 from Sitka to Seattle.

The plane was full, with 134 passengers, five crew members and a full cargo hold. The 132,000 pounds on board, combined with the short runway, meant that the pilots needed to use special takeoff procedures.

As they accelerated down the runway, Cleary saw an eagle in the jet's path. As the jet reached 150 mph, the eagle smashed into the left engine, which exploded and burst into flames.

The aircraft lurched left.

Cleary called out, "Abort! My aircraft!" and started emergency procedures to maintain control.

As he fought to stop the jet, Hendrix kept him apprised of the aircraft's speed and distance to the end of the runway. The heavy airliner stopped at the end of the runway.

"This could have had a tragic ending but for a split-second decision and meticulous execution of the aborted takeoff that safely brought the aircraft to a stop before the end of the runway," said Alaska Airlines' system chief pilot, Capt. Tom Kemp. "The prevention of a hull loss and the fact that no one was injured speaks to the tremendous professionalism of our crew."

Cleary told the newspaper after the incident that he had hit birds before but the damage to the $7 million engine was the most extensive he'd seen.

"You could see through the engine," he said. "All the blades were destroyed."

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Alaska Airlines Launches Travel Planning Facebook Application
With FlyingSocialTM, users can book travel to connect with friends around the country
http://splash.alaskasworld.com/Newsr...922_075504.asp
9/22/2011 7:55 a.m.

SEATTLE — Alaska Airlines has launched a Facebook application called FlyingSocialTM, which allows users to plan travel to visit their friends around the country. With the new app, users can view a map populated with photos of their Facebook friends located in cities Alaska Airlines flies and, with a click, can view one-way fares or mileage award levels to the closest airport near their friend's hometown. To purchase a ticket, users can simply click on ‘Shop Now' and they are automatically redirected to alaskaair.com.

"Facebook is about making new connections as well as staying connected with the people you care about," said Curtis Kopf, Alaska Airlines' managing director, customer innovation & alaskaair.com. "FlyingSocialTM takes that a step further by making it fun and easy to visit your Facebook friends. Social media has become an integral part of many customers' lives and this tool helps them begin their travel planning directly from Facebook."

Kopf said that the airline began offering FlyingSocialTM on its Facebook page on August 31, and has since had more than 2,000 people access the application. To access the app, users simply visit Alaska Airlines' Facebook page.

FlyingSocialTM is part of the airline's ongoing effort to make travel easier and more fun using innovative technology. Earlier this year, Alaska Airlines launched a redesigned Web site to make booking travel easier, and last month rolled out a new travel app for the iPhone. The airline plans to launch an Android smartphone app later this year.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 North America Airline Satisfaction StudiesSM. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

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Sea-Tac Airport Snow Removal Practice by Michael @ NW Lens, on Flickr

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Alaska Airlines 737 by Alaskan Dude, on Flickr

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Alaska Airlines N977AS by KristaLAPrincess, on Flickr

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N644AS at Portland International by kevincrumbs, on Flickr

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DU Optical Test by as737700, on Flickr

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The Arrival by Elliott P., on Flickr

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P7120008 by gillfoto, on Flickr

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ALASKA 734 by "Fast" Eddie Maloney, on Flickr

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Alaska, Frontier & Southwest by kevincrumbs, on Flickr

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Deicing by Stones 55, on Flickr

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Alaska Airlines 737-790 N613AS by Wee in YYC, on Flickr

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Getting ready by as737700, on Flickr

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Alaska Airlines to start new service to Kansas City.

Alaska Airlines Offers New Service Between Seattle-Kansas City, Mo., and San Jose-Palm Springs, Calif.