Matt covered this Monday. In a shocking incident, a Delta pilot had to inform passengers and apologize for an aggressive maneuver he made to avoid a potential mid-air collision with a B-52 bomber.
“Sorry about the aggressive maneuver. It caught me by surprise,” the Delta pilot said, which was captured on video. “This is not normal at all. I don’t know why they didn’t give us a heads up.”
A SkyWest flight nearly collided with a military aircraft:
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 21, 2025
“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.” pic.twitter.com/vejbkBOZuF
Predictably, this near-miss made headlines all over the country. To recap, just months ago, a mid-air collision between a military helicopter and a commercial airliner occurred over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C, killing everyone on board.
The Air Force issued a statement on the incident on Friday, claiming that air traffic controllers at a North Dakota airport were to blame for the near collision on the evening of July 18.
"At approximately 7:10 p.m. prior to the flyover, the B-52 crew contacted Minot Approach (RAPCON) to prepare for the flyover. Required checklists were completed, and the crew remained in contact with Minot Approach as it flew to its holding point 12 miles east of the fairgrounds. While holding, the B-52 crew communicated the flyover plan to both RAPCON and Minot International Airport’s air traffic control tower," the Air Force said in the statement.
“The tower did not advise of the inbound commercial aircraft,” the Air Force shared.
The Air Force says its Bomber was in touch with ATC leading up to its flyover and says the flyover was planned in advance. Adding—ATC never advised the bomber of an Airliner in the vicinity. FAA is investigating the potential close call Friday evening. Statement here ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/cvZhsp6nTk
— Kris Van Cleave (@krisvancleave) July 22, 2025
The incident is currently under investigation.