FAA investigating SkyWest jet's near miss with B-52 bomber over North Dakota
The Air Force confirmed a B-52 aircraft assigned to Minot Air Force Base conducted a flyover of the North Dakota State Fair on Friday. "We are currently looking into the matter," the Air Force said.
The SkyWest pilot reportedly said the incident caught him by surprise, prompting him to make an aggressive move to avoid a possible collision, according to a video recording posted by a passenger on social media. SkyWest did not immediately comment on the video or confirm its accuracy.
The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating another close call involving a Delta jet and a group of Air Force jets near Reagan Washington National Airport on March 28.
The jet in that incident, a Delta Airbus A319, received a cockpit collision warning alert that another aircraft was nearby, and controllers issued corrective instructions to the Delta plane and one of the military jets. The Delta plane had been cleared to depart as four Air Force T-38 Talons were heading to nearby Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover.
The NTSB said in a preliminary report there had been confusion about when controllers were to halt traffic during the flyover.
There has been intense focus on military traffic near civilian airplanes since an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet on January 29 near Reagan National, killing 67 people.
In early May the FAA barred Army helicopter flights around the Pentagon after another near miss.
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