An 
Alaska Airlines
flight from California to Washington State on Christmas Day was forced to turn back after a mechanical issue was identified shortly after takeoff. The plane returned to San Jose, where mechanics were able to resolve the problem expeditiously, and the flight arrived less than two hours behind schedule.
A little loop
The Boeing 737-900 involved in the incident arrived in San Jose’s Mineta International Airport
(SJC) on Christmas Eve on an evening flight from Seattle. The plane, registered N309AS, remained at the San Francisco Bay area airport overnight and was readied for its first flight of the day on Christmas morning.
The airline’s 10:10 service to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
(SEA), operating as flight AS1130, departed three minutes after the scheduled departure time. Based on tracking data from Flightradar24, the plane took off and completed one loop of the San Jose area before beginning its journey north to Seattle. The aircraft flew up the east side of the bay and reached an altitude of 14,700 feet.
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Around ten minutes into the flight, the aircraft can be seen leveling out as it flies over Pleasanton and begins to turn back towards the south. The plane maintained its altitude as it flew back over San Jose and continued beyond the city, turning back for its approach when it reached San Juan Bautista. The aircraft then descended straight into San Jose airport, landing at around 10:50 local time.
Photo: Flightradar24
According to local news outlet KRON 4, the aircraft returned to its point of departure due to a mechanical issue.
What happened to flight AS1130?
The exact nature of the issue was not immediately available, but it warranted a request for a priority landing at the California airport. Speaking to KTVA reports, a spokesperson for San Jose Mineta International Airport said the facility was notified around 10:41 that the plane was returning after experiencing mechanical issues and placed Airport Operations and San José Fire on standby to assist the aircraft if necessary upon arrival out of an abundance of caution.
When Simple Flying reached out for comment, a spokesperson for Alaska Airlines confirmed that the diversion was due to a mechanical issue light coming on in the flight deck of the Boeing 737-900
aircraft, much like a car’s check engine light:
“Alaska Airlines flight 1130 from San Jose, Calif. (SJC) to Seattle (SEA) returned to SJC without incident following a mechanical issue indication in the flight deck of a Boeing 737-900. Pilots followed appropriate procedures and requested priority landing.
“Our pilots are trained for situations like this, and we thank them for their professionalism in handling the situation. We apologize to our guests for the delay.”
Photo: Alaska Airlines
Once on the ground, mechanics were dispatched to find and resolve the issue to ensure that the flight could proceed, with the airline noting:
“The aircraft was evaluated by our maintenance team, who were able to repair the issue.”
After the problem was resolved, the aircraft proceeded to make a second attempt to reach Seattle.
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Based on the flight tracking data, the Boeing 737 departed San Jose once again at 12:37 the same day for its journey north. The later flight proceeded as expected and landed in Seattle an hour and fifty-two minutes later. The flight arrived at its gate in Seattle at 14:29 on Christmas Day, just under two hours after its initially scheduled arrival of 12:30.
Photo: Flightradar24
The aircraft involved in the incident, N309AS, was first ordered by Alaska Airlines almost exactly 25 years ago on December 23rd, 1999. The plane took its first flight on July 12th, 2001, and was delivered the same month. It is not expected to be retired until April 2025 at the earliest.
