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CNN
10 hours ago
- General
- CNN
A private company runs the control tower where a B-52 got too close to a passenger jet. It is more common than you might think
Federal agencies Aviation news Air travel safetyFacebookTweetLink Follow The control tower where a Delta Air Lines regional jet had to perform an 'aggressive maneuver' to avoid colliding with an Air Force B-52 bomber isn't staffed by the Federal Aviation Administration, but rather air traffic controllers working for a private company. It's more common than most fliers may think. About half of the control towers at civilian airports in the US are operated under contract by private companies, according to the FAA. Most are at smaller airports, like Minot International. On Friday, the B-52 bomber was conducting a flyover at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds, near the Minot airport that, 'was planned in advance and approved by the Federal Aviation Administration,' according to a statement from Minot Air Force Base. 'The tower did not advise of the inbound commercial aircraft,' the statement said. The passenger plane wasn't told about the bomber either, according to a video filmed inside the plane by a passenger and posted on TikTok. The pilot of the Delta jet, operated by regional carrier SkyWest Airlines, can be heard telling passengers that the aircraft was 'kind of, sort of coming at us' and it was safest to turn sharply to pass behind it. SkyWest, the FAA, and the military are all investigating what went wrong. The Minot International Control Tower is operated by Midwest ATC, which declined to comment to CNN. It operates 93 towers in the United States and handles more than eight million passengers a year. The company is a long-term provider of contract tower services, according to Michael McCormick, an associate professor and program coordinator of air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Despite these towers not being operated by the FAA, McCormick said there's no reason to believe they are not safe. 'In fact, the contract controllers at these towers are all former FAA or US military air traffic controllers,' he said. An audit, conducted in 2020 by the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General, found that contract towers are more cost effective than comparable FAA towers and have similar safety records. The FAA notes, 'all of the approximate 1,400 contract controllers meet the same qualification and training requirements as FAA air traffic controllers.' The Minot Tower is also one of the 171 federal contract towers represented by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the major air traffic controller union, who also represents FAA controllers. Some contracted towers are located at small airports in Albany, Georgia; Brownsville, Texas; and Key West, Florida. In cities with major airports, contracted towers operate at smaller fields like Houston Executive, Detroit City and Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. The FAA's Contract Tower Program started in 1982 to allow employees of private companies to staff towers, rather than FAA employees. McCormick said it was a result of the 1981 air traffic controllers' strike when 12,000 members walked off the job. After a shortage plagued the industry, low activity towers were at risk of being shut down to provide staffing at busier towers, he explained. 'That is when they came up with the Contract Tower Program where they would actually provide opportunity for contractors to take over those initial control towers that they were going to shut down,' McCormick said. Since then, he said, the program has grown. Generally, McCormick said, the towers are usually not equipped with radar displays. Controllers primarily rely on position reports from the aircraft and looking out the windows. While investigators have not made public what caused the close call in Minot, McCormick said the communication with the two planes doesn't appear to have been accurate, ultimately leading to the regional pilot's evasive maneuver. Overall, McCormick said having contracted towers increases safety – because the alternative for many of these small airports might be no tower at all. 'The contract tower program has operated safely, effectively and efficiently,' McCormick said. 'The contractors have provided great services, but at the same time, oversight needs to be strong.'
CNN
11 hours ago
- General
- CNN
A private company runs the control tower where a B-52 got too close to a passenger jet. It is more common than you might think
Federal agencies Aviation news Air travel safetyFacebookTweetLink Follow The control tower where a Delta Air Lines regional jet had to perform an 'aggressive maneuver' to avoid colliding with an Air Force B-52 bomber isn't staffed by the Federal Aviation Administration, but rather air traffic controllers working for a private company. It's more common than most fliers may think. About half of the control towers at civilian airports in the US are operated under contract by private companies, according to the FAA. Most are at smaller airports, like Minot International. On Friday, the B-52 bomber was conducting a flyover at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds, near the Minot airport that, 'was planned in advance and approved by the Federal Aviation Administration,' according to a statement from Minot Air Force Base. 'The tower did not advise of the inbound commercial aircraft,' the statement said. The passenger plane wasn't told about the bomber either, according to a video filmed inside the plane by a passenger and posted on TikTok. The pilot of the Delta jet, operated by regional carrier SkyWest Airlines, can be heard telling passengers that the aircraft was 'kind of, sort of coming at us' and it was safest to turn sharply to pass behind it. SkyWest, the FAA, and the military are all investigating what went wrong. The Minot International Control Tower is operated by Midwest ATC, which declined to comment to CNN. It operates 93 towers in the United States and handles more than eight million passengers a year. The company is a long-term provider of contract tower services, according to Michael McCormick, an associate professor and program coordinator of air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Despite these towers not being operated by the FAA, McCormick said there's no reason to believe they are not safe. 'In fact, the contract controllers at these towers are all former FAA or US military air traffic controllers,' he said. An audit, conducted in 2020 by the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General, found that contract towers are more cost effective than comparable FAA towers and have similar safety records. The FAA notes, 'all of the approximate 1,400 contract controllers meet the same qualification and training requirements as FAA air traffic controllers.' The Minot Tower is also one of the 171 federal contract towers represented by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the major air traffic controller union, who also represents FAA controllers. Some contracted towers are located at small airports in Albany, Georgia; Brownsville, Texas; and Key West, Florida. In cities with major airports, contracted towers operate at smaller fields like Houston Executive, Detroit City and Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. The FAA's Contract Tower Program started in 1982 to allow employees of private companies to staff towers, rather than FAA employees. McCormick said it was a result of the 1981 air traffic controllers' strike when 12,000 members walked off the job. After a shortage plagued the industry, low activity towers were at risk of being shut down to provide staffing at busier towers, he explained. 'That is when they came up with the Contract Tower Program where they would actually provide opportunity for contractors to take over those initial control towers that they were going to shut down,' McCormick said. Since then, he said, the program has grown. Generally, McCormick said, the towers are usually not equipped with radar displays. Controllers primarily rely on position reports from the aircraft and looking out the windows. While investigators have not made public what caused the close call in Minot, McCormick said the communication with the two planes doesn't appear to have been accurate, ultimately leading to the regional pilot's evasive maneuver. Overall, McCormick said having contracted towers increases safety – because the alternative for many of these small airports might be no tower at all. 'The contract tower program has operated safely, effectively and efficiently,' McCormick said. 'The contractors have provided great services, but at the same time, oversight needs to be strong.'
The Hill
13 hours ago
- General
- The Hill
Air Force blames air traffic controllers for near miss involving B-52 bomber
Air traffic controllers at a North Dakota airport didn't tell the crew of an Air Force B-52 bomber that a commercial airliner was flying in the same area, causing a near miss between the planes, according to the military. In a statement released Monday evening, the Air Force said the B-52 crew told Minot International Airport's air traffic control that the bomber was nearing the area where a SkyWest Airlines pilot was approaching to land the evening of July 18. 'The tower did not advise of the inbound commercial aircraft,' the Air Force said. The pilot of the passenger jet Flight 3788, which departed from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, was forced to veer sharply to avoid the B-52, startling passengers, though both planes landed safely. A passenger aboard the commercial flight captured a video of the pilot's explanation over the intercom of what had occurred, during which he said he had to make an 'aggressive maneuver' to turn after spotting the bomber in his flight path. 'Sorry about the aggressive maneuver. It caught me by surprise,' the pilot said. 'This is not normal at all. I don't know why they didn't give us a heads up.' SkyWest is owned by Delta Air Lines. The Air Force explained that the bomber, from Minot Air Force Base, had been conducting a flyover at the North Dakota State Fair in Minot that was 'planned in advance' and 'approved by the Federal Aviation Administration' the Minot International Airport air traffic control and the military base's air traffic control team. Ahead of the flyover, the B-52 crew contacted its base air traffic control team as well as that of the Minot International Airport's air traffic control tower. At 7:40 p.m. the bomber crew told the base they were departing their holding point for the fairgrounds. Three minutes later the base directed the crew to contact the airport's air traffic control. 'The B-52 crew contacted Minot International Airport tower and the tower provided instructions to continue 2 miles westbound after the flyover,' the Air Force said, noting that the tower did not advise them of the incoming commercial aircraft. The flyover happened at 7:50 p.m., and the B-52 kept flying west as instructed to clear the airport's airspace before returning to base, according to the Air Force. The FAA, Air Force and SkyWest are investigating the incident, the latest in a string of recent air safety scares. On Jan. 29, an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter collided over Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people aboard the two aircraft. It was later found that the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, on a training exercise, had been flying in airspace well above where it should have been when it struck the regional jet out of Wichita, Kansas. On Feb. 17, another flight out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport owned by Delta crashed upon landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport. All 76 passengers and four crew members survived but 21 were injured. Then in late February, a Southwest Airlines flight set to land at Chicago's Midway Airport was forced to sharply rise back into the sky to avoid another aircraft crossing the runway. The FAA said Monday that a private company provides services for the Minot air traffic control tower, and that those controllers are not FAA employees.
CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Pilot apologizes after making hard turn to avoid B-52 bomber
Pilot apologizes after making hard turn to avoid B-52 bomber A pilot flying a Delta Air Lines regional jet apologized to his passengers on Friday after making an 'aggressive maneuver' to avoid hitting a US Air Force B-52 bomber, audio shared on TikTok from the incident shows. SkyWest Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the close call. 01:08 - Source: CNN International visitors to US will pay new fee CNN's Richard Quest explains how the Trump administration enacted a bill that will require international visitors to pay a new 'visa integrity fee' of $250 dollars. The fee will apply to all visitors who are required to obtain nonimmigrant visas to enter the US. 01:36 - Source: CNN Malcolm-Jamal Warner's impact on Black community Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Cliff Huxtable on 'The Cosby Show,' has died at age 54 in a drowning accident in Costa Rica where he was on vacation with family, according to authorities. 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CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Pilot apologizes after making hard turn to avoid B-52 bomber
Pilot apologizes after making hard turn to avoid B-52 bomber A pilot flying a Delta Air Lines regional jet apologized to his passengers on Friday after making an 'aggressive maneuver' to avoid hitting a US Air Force B-52 bomber, audio shared on TikTok from the incident shows. SkyWest Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the close call. 01:08 - Source: CNN International visitors to US will pay new fee CNN's Richard Quest explains how the Trump administration enacted a bill that will require international visitors to pay a new 'visa integrity fee' of $250 dollars. The fee will apply to all visitors who are required to obtain nonimmigrant visas to enter the US. 01:36 - Source: CNN Malcolm-Jamal Warner's impact on Black community Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Cliff Huxtable on 'The Cosby Show,' has died at age 54 in a drowning accident in Costa Rica where he was on vacation with family, according to authorities. Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Department told CNN that Warner was swimming Sunday at Playa Grande de Cocles in Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the ocean, where the Red Cross later declared him dead. CNN's Lisa Respers France reports. 00:59 - Source: CNN Harvard takes on Trump administration in court Harvard University was back in court for a hearing in its funding fight case against the Trump administration, who froze more than $2 billion in federal funding for research this Spring. Harvard lawyer Steven Lehotsky argued the government is in 'blatant and unrepentant violation' of the First Amendment, as well as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. CNN's Betsy Klein reports. 01:51 - Source: CNN An inside look at one of the most coveted offices in the US Capitol Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware) gives CNN's Dana Bash a tour of his office once occupied by the late Senator John McCain, as well as a "hideaway" that offers an impressive view and backdrop for bipartisan discussions both senators are known for. 02:17 - Source: CNN Delta flight makes emergency landing after engine fire Video captures the moment a Delta Air Lines flight suffered an engine fire moments after takeoff. The flight was able to return to Los Angeles International Airport and make a successful emergency landing. CNN has reached out to Delta for more information. 00:28 - Source: CNN Rep. Jeffries pressed on Democrats' plan against GOP redistricting CNN's Manu Raju speaks with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) about both Democrats and Republicans possibly redistricting key states in the middle of an election cycle. 02:38 - Source: CNN National security journalist slams Trump's intel team: 'crackpots and fools' Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of 'The Mission: the CIA in the 21st Century' Tim Weiner tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour that CIA Director John Ratcliffe's 'fealty' to President Donald Trump 'is not part of the job description.' 02:36 - Source: CNN Media mogul's 'one big fear' growing up made 'other fears disappear' Billionaire media mogul and IAC Chairman Barry Diller speaks to CNN's Christiane Amanpour about his new memoir, "Who Knew," and details how he had a "higher tolerance for risk" throughout his career. 02:13 - Source: CNN DOJ moves to release grand jury testimony in Epstein case The Trump administration's chaotic handling of the so-called Jeffrey Epstein files continued as the Justice Department asked a federal judge to make public years-old grand jury testimony made behind closed doors against the convicted sex offender. 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CNN's Elie Honig explains what documents could get released. 01:20 - Source: CNN Cardiologist reacts to Trump's diagnosis CNN medical analyst and cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Reiner breaks down President Donald Trump's chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis. 01:12 - Source: CNN Trump diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency President Donald Trump was examined for swelling in his legs and has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced. 01:21 - Source: CNN Five charged in connection with UC Berkeley professor's death in Greece Five people, including the former spouse of UC Berkley Professor Przemyslaw Jeziorski, have been charged in connection with his death. CNN has learned from a police source that the current partner of the professor's ex-wife has confessed to the killing. Three others have also been charged as accomplices, police say. 01:50 - Source: CNN Democrats walk out before vote for controversial Trump nominee Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans voted on Thursday to advance the nomination of Emil Bove, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, to a federal judgeship, over the loud protests of Democrats. 01:42 - Source: CNN CNN visits boys camp devastated by Texas floods Camp La Junta is an all-boys camp in Texas that was devastated by flooding on July 4th. The owners gave CNN rare access to see the damage after the storm. 01:53 - Source: CNN Trump DOJ fires federal prosecutor in Epstein case Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor in the case against accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, has been fired from her job in the Southern District of New York, according to people familiar with the situation. 01:56 - Source: CNN Brazil's Lula tells Christiane Amanpour: Trump 'Was not elected to be emperor of the world' Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview it was 'a surprise' to see President Donald Trump's letter posted to Truth Social, threatening Brazil with a crippling tariff of 50% starting August 1st. Lula says that he initially thought the letter was 'fake news.' Watch the full 'Amanpour' interview on CNN. 01:33 - Source: CNN Gaza's only Catholic church hit by Israeli strike Gaza's only Catholic church was struck by an Israeli tank, killing three and injuring many more, church officials said. It became internationally recognized after reports emerged that the late Pope Francis used to call the church daily. CNN's Nada Bashir reports 00:53 - Source: CNN Taiwan conducts 10-day military drill The Taiwanese government is preparing for a war they hope will never happen. For the first time this year, Taiwan combined two major civil defense exercises, with the drills lasting ten days. These drills have included urban combat, mass casualty simulations, emergency supply drops and cyber defense that could be enacted if an invasion was to occur. CNN's Senior International Correspondent, Will Ripley, reports. 01:44 - Source: CNN Lightning bolt strikes near delivery man Video shows a lightning strike nearly hitting a delivery man in Wayne, New Jersey, as storms took place across the Mid-Atlantic. 00:36 - Source: CNN Trump ramping up pressure on Fed chair The White House pressure campaign for the Chair of the Federal Reserve, Jay Powell, to lower interest rates escalated sharply Wednesday morning. CNN's Phil Mattingly breaks down Trump's strategy and how markets are responding. 02:54 - Source: CNN Hikers confront man allegedly setting a tree on fire in LA Video shows a tense moment where hikers confronted a man for allegedly starting a fire near Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles on Sunday and prevented him from leaving the scene. Andrew Ocalliham was arrested and charged with one count of arson of forest land, court records show. 01:23 - Source: CNN Massive fire destroys Tomorrowland's main stage Tomorrowland's main stage went up in flames just days ahead of the festival's opening in Boom, Belgium. 00:38 - Source: CNN The Obamas address divorce rumors on Michelle's podcast Former President Barack Obama joined his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, on her latest podcast episode with her brother Craig Robinson to address divorce rumors. In recent months, speculation about their marriage has run rampant after several public appearances where Michelle Obama did not join her husband, including at President Donald Trump's inauguration in January. 01:52 - Source: CNN
