Latest news with #MinotInternationalAirport
New York Post
23-07-2025
- General
- New York Post
B-52 bomber wasn't warned about approaching Delta plane before shocking near-miss in North Dakota: Air Force
Air traffic controllers in North Dakota failed to warn a US Air Force B-52 bomber about an approaching passenger jet, which was forced to take evasive action to avoid a midair collision, the military claimed. The B-52 Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base was participating in a scheduled flyover at the North Dakota State Fair in Minot Saturday night, just minutes before tragedy nearly struck, according to the Air Force. The planned maneuver had been cleared in advance with the Federal Aviation Administration and air traffic controllers at both Minot International Airport and Minot Air Force Base, with military crews in direct contact throughout, officials said. Advertisement 4 Map showing a near-collision near Minot, ND, between a B-52 bomber and a Delta plane. 'The B-52 crew contacted Minot International Airport tower and the tower provided instructions to continue 2 miles westbound after the flyover,' military officials said in a statement Monday. 'The tower did not advise of the inbound commercial aircraft. The B-52 crossed the fairgrounds show center at 7:50 p.m. and proceeded west as directed to clear Minot International Tower's airspace before returning to Minot AFB.' Advertisement The SkyWest Airlines flight – en route from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Minot International Airport – made an unexpected series of 'aggressive' sharp turns mid-air to avoid the incoming bomber, which was reportedly visible from the right-side windows to both crew and passengers. 4 The B-52 bomber was conducting a flyover Saturday when it was given the OK to travel. AP Video taken by a passenger aboard the harrowing Delta-operated aircraft captured the quick-thinking pilot explaining to the 76 travelers and four crew members onboard that he banked hard after spotting the bomber directly in the landing path given by air traffic control. 'Sorry about the aggressive maneuver,' the heroic pilot said in the footage shared on social media. Advertisement 4 The Air Force said air traffic controllers at Minot International Airport failed to warn them about the incoming plane. AP '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 Air Force base does have radar … long story short, it was not fun, but I do apologize for it, and thank you for understanding. Not a fun day at work.' While the plane landed safely, the near-miss marks the latest in a string of alarming aviation incidents and tragedies to rattle the skies since the start of the year. 4 The pilot was forced to make an unexpected series of 'aggressive' sharp turns mid-air to avoid the bomber. Advertisement The FAA is investigating Saturday's incident. With Post wires.
Washington Post
22-07-2025
- Washington Post
Air traffic controllers didn't warn a B-52 bomber crew about a nearby airliner, the Air Force says
BISMARCK, N.D. — Air traffic controllers at a small North Dakota airport didn't inform an Air Force bomber's crew that a commercial airliner was flying in the same area, the military said, shedding light on the nation's latest air safety scare. A SkyWest pilot performed a sharp turn , startling passengers, to avoid colliding with the B-52 bomber he said was in his flight path as he prepared to land Friday at Minot International Airport.
Straits Times
22-07-2025
- Straits Times
US authorities probing airliner's close call with B-52 bomber
Find out what's new on ST website and app. A Delta flight took off on July 18 from Minneapolis and was approaching the city of Minot, North Dakota when the pilot rapidly rerouted after seeing another aircraft nearing from the right. WASHINGTON - US aviation regulators said on July 21 that they are investigating a recent close call in which a passenger plane took emergency action to avoid a mid-air collision with a US military bomber. A Delta flight operated by SkyWest took off on July 18 from Minneapolis and was approaching the city of Minot, North Dakota when the pilot rapidly rerouted after seeing another aircraft nearing from the right. '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 do to turn behind it,' the pilot told passengers, according to recorded audio of the commercial pilot. 'Sorry about the aggressive maneuver,' he said. 'This is not normal at all.' The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that US officials are 'investigating the event involving SkyWest Airlines Flight 3788 at Minot International Airport on July 18'. SkyWest said it has also begun a probe. The flight was cleared for approach by the tower 'but performed a go-around when another aircraft became visible in their flight path', the carrier said in a statement reported by US media. The US Air Force base near Minot confirmed in a statement that a B-52 bomber performed an approved flyover on July 18 night at the North Dakota State Fair, and said the crew was communicating with air traffic controllers at Minot's commercial airport. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump 'caught off guard' by Israel's strikes in Syria Opinion Singapore's vaping crisis lays bare the drug addiction nightmare for parents Singapore LTA seeks tailored solutions to improve Bukit Panjang LRT's maintenance inspections World US not rushing trade deals ahead of August deadline, will talk with China, Bessent says Multimedia 'It's very sad': She comforts loved ones turned away by inmates Opinion Sumiko at 61: 7 facts about facial skin ageing, and skincare ingredients that actually work Singapore Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH Opinion With Shatec cutting back operations, what's next for Singapore's hospitality sector? 'The B-52 crew contacted Minot International Airport tower and the tower provided instructions to continue two miles westbound after the flyover. The tower did not advise of the inbound commercial aircraft,' it said. It provided no further details about the near miss. The northern city, about 80km from the Canada border, is home to a commercial airport and a US Air Force base. In a passenger video posted to Instagram and verified by Storyful, the SkyWest pilot told passengers he was not made aware about the B-52. He said the Minot tower, which does not use radar – a common situation in smaller, more remote airfields in the United States – offered guidance that could have put the passenger jet in jeopardy. 'He said 'Turn right.' I said there's an airplane over there. And he says 'Turn left,'' 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,'' he said. The passenger who recorded the video, Ms Monica Green, said she was 'sick to my stomach' about the near miss. Ms Green, quoted by NBC News, said she felt the jet take a hard turn and then 'I just remember the plane going, like, sideways... and just looking straight out the window and just seeing grass' with no visible skyline. The incident comes less than six months after a US Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet approaching Washington's Reagan National Airport, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft. The disaster prompted federal authorities and Congress to review coordination between military and civilian aircraft flying in the same airspace. AFP
Toronto Star
21-07-2025
- General
- Toronto Star
A pilot made sharp turn to avoid a B-52 bomber over North Dakota, then took to the mic to explain
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The pilot of a regional airliner flying over North Dakota carried out an unexpected sharp turn and later apologized to passengers, explaining that he made the move after spotting a military plane in his flight path. The Friday incident is detailed in a video taken by a passenger and posted to social media as Delta Flight 3788 approached the Minot International Airport for landing. In the video, the SkyWest pilot can be heard over the plane's intercom system explaining that he made the sharp turn after spotting a B-52 bomber in his flight path.
Scientific American
21-07-2025
- General
- Scientific American
Could AI Have Prevented SkyWest Airliner's Near Collision with a B52 Bomber?
On the evening of July 20, commercial SkyWest Flight 3788 was preparing to land at Minot International Airport in North Dakota, and the pilot suddenly made an extreme turn to avoid colliding with a military plane crossing his path. The pilot later landed the SkyWest plane safely and entered the cabin to apologize to passengers for having to make an 'aggressive maneuver.' According to a video taken by a passenger, which was confirmed by NBC News, the pilot said that an air-traffic controller had instructed him to turn right upon approach, but as the pilot looked in that direction, he saw what he described as a B-52 bomber on a 'converging course' with the SkyWest plane. The pilot aborted the approach and made the aggressive turn instead. The pilot also noted that the air-traffic control tower that serves the airport does not have radar and that its controllers depend on their own vision of planes near the airfield to make decisions. He added that the nearby Minot Air Force Base does have radar, and he wondered why no one from that operation had given him a warning. It is not uncommon for small airports to lack radar or to rely on communication from larger airports nearby that do have radar, whether commercial or military. This incident occurred six months after a military Black Hawk helicopter crashed into an American Airlines passenger jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people. Scientific American recently ran a story investigating whether artificial intelligence could improve air-traffic-control (ATC) safety or even replace air-traffic controllers. The near collision for SkyWest makes the question even more pertinent. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. In that story, by Adrienne Bernhard, we noted that ' short-staffed and overworked ATC workers try to monitor thousands of flights each day. Their work relies on many systems that have remained virtually unchanged for decades: runway lights are supported by technology first rolled out in the 1980s, and controllers in some towers still use paper to track aircraft movements. But perhaps the most analog aspect of ATC is that human beings are needed to guide pilots at every stage of flight.' We added that 'given the meteoric rise of AI applications, the control tower may be ripe for full automation in the near future. Human intervention would be the exception, not the rule.' An AI system is being tested at London's Heathrow Airport and at Singapore Changi Airport. We wrote that 'AI control would raise legal and ethical questions. Could AI be blamed for an accident? How risk-averse would an automated ATC system be? How risk-averse should it be?' We also noted that 'aviation experts aren't confident that the benefits would outweigh possible new problems resulting from increased automation in the tower. For one thing, AI currently lacks the creativity, intuition or adaptability needed to deftly handle any emergency that deviates from historical flight data. Automated technology adds another layer of unpredictability to a system already mired in uncertainty. Forcing pilots and controllers to become more dependent on technology could erode their ability to make quick decisions. And increased digitization of ATC systems could make them vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.'
