Latest news with #DeltaConnection
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Delta Pilot Abruptly Avoids B-52 During Approach, Apologizes To Passengers For 'Aggressive Maneuver'
A near miss occurred over the skies of Minot, North Dakota, last week. CNN reports that SkyWest Flight 3788, operating as Delta Connection, was on approach to Minot International Airport when it suddenly swerved to avoid a B-52 bomber converging with its flight path. The pilot performed a go-around, then landed safely. The B-52 was on its way to a flyover of the North Dakota State Fairgrounds in Minot. Neither aircraft appeared to be aware of the other until it was almost too late. A statement from SkyWest confirmed that its Embraer E175 had been cleared for approach. A TikTok video recorded the pilot explaining what happened to passengers. "Nobody told us about it," he said, referring to the B-52. Air traffic control initially told him to turn right, but the other aircraft was there in view. By the time he communicated with the tower and read back his clearance to turn left, what he first thought was a small plane had become very large, showing just how quickly the two were closing on each other. The Embraer's pilot turned sharply to the left and avoided a mid-air collision. Meanwhile, a statement from Minot Air Force Base says the military had coordinated with civilian authorities, including air traffic control, before and during the flyover. "The tower did not advise of the inbound commercial aircraft," the statement said. Midwest ATC, the contractor who runs the control towers, declined to comment to CNN. Read more: These Cars Are Going To Age Terribly A Crash That Didn't Happen The investigation continues into how this situation happened, as it easily could have ended in disaster like the crash in Washington D.C. earlier this year. In both cases, neither the military nor civilian aircraft appeared to be aware of each other's presence, as confirmed by the military's statement and the pilot's own words recorded in the video. Unlike the Washington crash, Minot International Airport is fairly small and does not have radar, meaning that pilots must rely on their eyes rather than electronic aids to avoid other aircraft. It's possible that the Embraer pilot's extra awareness gave him the time he needed to identify and avoid the rapidly approaching B-52. Though it may have been disconcerting to passengers in the moment, an abrupt go-around was the right move for the SkyWest plane. Until the investigation is complete, we won't know why the B-52 crew did not appear to react at all. If they were unaware of other aircraft in the area, which the military says is the case, they may not even have been looking, trusting air traffic control to maintain separation. While there are lessons to be learned from this incident that shouldn't have happened, it had the best possible outcome, with everyone walking away unharmed. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
The Hill
21-07-2025
- General
- The Hill
Passenger jet pilot makes hard midair turn to avoid B-52 bomber
A passenger jet made a hard turn midair on Friday to avoid a collision with a B-52 bomber, according to the pilot and the Air Force. SkyWest Flight 3788, operating as Delta Connection from Minneapolis, landed safely in Minot, N.D., after the pilot 'performed a go-around when another aircraft became visible in their flight path,' a SkyWest spokesperson to The Hill. SkyWest is investigating the incident, the spokesperson added. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it is also investigating the incident, in a statement to NewsNation. An Air Force spokesperson said it is 'looking into the matter' and confirmed that 'a B-52 aircraft assigned to Minot AFB conducted a flyover of the North Dakota State Fair Friday evening.' The pilot explained to the flight passengers what took place before he made an 'aggressive maneuver' to avoid a collision and apologized for the incident, according to a recording of his comments posted online by a passenger. The pilot told the flight that there's no radar in the area, so the 'tower does everything visually' and instructed the passenger jet to report as they were about 6 miles from the airport, which the pilot said they did. 'I think he realized that the spacing wasn't going to work, and he said, 'Turn right,'' the pilot explained. But the pilot said he saw an aircraft to his right. 'I said, 'There's an airplane over there.' And he says, 'Turn left,'' the pilot added. 'And then by the time we read back the clearance, [we] looked over and saw the airplane that was kind of coming on a converging course with us.' The pilot told the flight of passengers that he made a calculated decision to avoid a potential collision. 'And so given his speed — it was a military [aircraft], I don't know how fast they were going, but they were a lot faster than us — I felt it was the safest thing to turn behind it,' he said. The pilot apologized and said he, too, was caught by surprise and was not given a heads up that the B-52 bomber would be sharing the airspace. 'So sorry about the aggressive maneuver. It caught me by surprise. This is not, not normal at all,' the pilot said. 'I don't know why they didn't give us a heads up because the Air Force Base does have radar, and nobody said, Hey, there's also a B-52 in the pattern.'' 'Long story short, it was not fun, but I do apologize for it, and thank you for understanding. It was kind of a, not a fun day at work,' the pilot said, prompting applause from the passengers.
Reuters
21-07-2025
- General
- Reuters
FAA investigating close call between SkyWest jet, B-52 bomber
WASHINGTON, July 21 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it is investigating a close call between a SkyWest Airlines (SKYW.O), opens new tab jet and an Air Force jet over North Dakota. SkyWest Flight 3788, an Embraer ERJ-175 operating as Delta Connection (DAL.N), opens new tab from Minneapolis to Minot, North Dakota, landed safely in Minot Friday after being cleared for approach but performed a go-around when another aircraft became visible in their flight path, SkyWest said.
Metro
21-07-2025
- General
- Metro
Passenger plane forced to swerve in mid-air to avoid crashing into B-52 bomber
A domestic US flight was forced to make an 'aggressive manoeuvre' to avoid hitting a military plane mid-air. Passengers on the Delta Connection flight from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Minot, North Dakota, described feeling the plane suddenly take a 'really hard turn'. The pilot then made an announcement to the cabin apologising and promised to 'explain everything when we land safely'. In footage filmed from inside the cabin after coming to a stop, the pilot can be heard apologising again to stunned passengers. 'It caught me by surprise, this is not normal at all. I don't know why they didn't give us a heads-up. 'You probably kind of saw the airplane coming at us. Nobody told us about it.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The plane had been cleared for approach as it neared its destination but 'performed a go-around when another aircraft became visible in their flight path', according to a statement from operator SkyWest. The aircraft in question was a B-52 Stratofortress bomber flown from Minot Air Force Base. An Air Force spokesperson confirmed a B-52 'conducted a flyover of the North Dakota State Fair' at the time and said officials were 'looking into the matter'. Monica Green, who wasn't able to see the bomber from her seat, said that after getting to the airport she heard people on the ground describe seeing the other plane 'nearly hit us, and it went so low it passed under us'. Speaking to KMOT News, she praised the pilot's transparency, saying it left everyone 'weirdly calm' despite the sudden swerving. She added: 'We took a really hard turn, and that's when the pilot got on the intercom and said, ''sorry everybody, I'll explain everything when we land safely''. 'The way he said it, it almost sounded like he was insinuating that landing safely might not be an option for a moment,' she added. 'He was almost shaking, trying to find the right words, but he was nice and detailed. It felt good that they weren't just going to brush it off.' The plane circled Minot Airport a few times before landing SkyWest has also said it is investigating the incident. Delta and Minot Air Force Base have been approached for comment. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Officer smashes car window then punches driver stopped for not having headlights on MORE: British airport announces 'major redesign' including new restaurants and runway views MORE: Major disruption at London Waterloo to last well beyond afternoon rush hour
CBS News
21-07-2025
- General
- CBS News
SkyWest flight does "aggressive maneuver" to avoid a B-52 military aircraft, pilot says
The pilot of a SkyWest flight told passengers Friday night that he performed an "aggressive maneuver" to avoid an apparent B-52 military aircraft in-flight as he came in for a landing in Minot, North Dakota — then apologized for the sudden move. The airline said in a statement that SkyWest flight 3788, operating as Delta Connection on a flight from Minneapolis, "landed safely in Minot after being cleared for approach by the tower but performing a go-around when another aircraft became visible in their flight path. We are investigating the incident." In a video recorded by passenger Monica Green and obtained by CBS News, the pilot is heard calmly announcing to passengers: "For those of you on the right-hand side, you probably saw the airplane kinda sorta coming at us. Nobody told us about it and so we continued." The pilot explained that the tower at the Minot airport doesn't have radar, so air traffic controllers do everything visually. The pilot said he "saw the airplane that was kind of coming on a converging course with us." "Given his speed," the pilot continued, "it was a military (aircraft). I don't know how fast they were going but they were a lot faster than us. I thought the safest thing to do was to turn behind it. So, sorry about the aggressive maneuver. It caught me by surprise. "This is not normal at all. I don't know why they didn't give us a heads-up because the (nearby) Air Force base does have radar and nobody said, 'Hey, there's also a B-52 in the pattern.'" The Air Force confirmed in a statement to CBS News that a B-52 aircraft assigned to Minot Air Force Base was operating in the area at the time, having conducted a flyover of the North Dakota State Fair. "Long story short, it was not fun but I do apologize for it and I thank you for everything. It was not a fun day at work today," the pilot added, at which point the passengers started applauding. SkyWest said the flight had 76 passengers and four crew members on board. An Air Force spokesperson told CBS News, "We are aware of the recent reporting regarding commercial and Air Force aircraft operating in airspace around Minot International Airport. We are currently looking into the matter." Green, the passenger who recorded the video, said that as the aircraft was descending, she felt it jolt to the right. The Federal Aviation Administration said it is working to gather information on what Van Cleave contributed to this report.
