Latest news with #SkyWest
Yahoo
a day ago
- 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.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
SkyWest Second Quarter 2025 Earnings: Beats Expectations
SkyWest (NASDAQ:SKYW) Second Quarter 2025 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: US$1.04b (up 19% from 2Q 2024). Net income: US$120.3m (up 59% from 2Q 2024). Profit margin: 12% (up from 8.7% in 2Q 2024). The increase in margin was driven by higher revenue. EPS: US$2.98 (up from US$1.88 in 2Q 2024). This technology could replace computers: discover the 20 stocks are working to make quantum computing a reality. All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period SkyWest Revenues and Earnings Beat Expectations Revenue exceeded analyst estimates by 5.7%. Earnings per share (EPS) also surpassed analyst estimates by 27%. Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 5.1% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 12% growth forecast for the Airlines industry in the US. Performance of the American Airlines industry. The company's share price is broadly unchanged from a week ago. Risk Analysis Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for SkyWest that you should be aware of. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
NDTV
4 days ago
- General
- NDTV
Southwest Airlines Flight Plunges 500 Feet To Avoid Mid-Air Collision, 2 Injured
Two flight attendants on a Southwest Airlines flight departing Burbank, California, were injured on Friday after pilots took evasive action to dodge another aircraft on takeoff, the airline said. Southwest Flight 1496 sharply descended nearly 500 feet, according to flight tracking websites, marking the second time in a week that a US commercial jet was forced to make abrupt flight maneuvers to avoid a potential mid-air collision. The incident also appeared to be the fourth involving military aircraft since March. The airline and the Federal Aviation Administration said the Southwest pilots took action after receiving cockpit alerts of other aircraft traffic being dangerously close. The Southwest Boeing 737 continued on to Las Vegas, where it landed uneventfully. Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 identified the other aircraft as a Hawker Hunter fighter jet - British-built aircraft - that crossed in front of the Southwest flight. The planes came within 4.86 miles (7.82 km) of each other laterally and 350 feet (107 m) vertically. The US Air Force and Defense Department did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the military jet's presence near Burbank. The FAA was investigating. Two flight attendants were treated for injuries, the airline said, without providing detail. No injuries were immediately reported by passengers, according to Southwest. But one passenger told Fox News Digital the sharp descent stirred panic onboard. "It was terrifying. We really thought we were plummeting to a plane crash," Caitlin Burdi said in an on-camera interview. After the incident, "the pilot came on (the intercom), and he told us we almost collided with another plane." According to a statement from Southwest, the incident began when its crew responded to "two onboard traffic alerts" while taking off from the Hollywood Burbank Airport north of Los Angeles, "requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts." THREE EARLIER CLOSE CALLS In a separate incident one week ago, a SkyWest Airlines jet operating as a Delta Connection flight from Minneapolis reported taking evasive action to avoid a possible collision with a U.S. Air Force bomber during a landing approach over North Dakota on July 18. The FAA said on Monday it was investigating last Friday's near-miss incident involving SkyWest Flight 3788, an Embraer ERJ-175 regional jet, which landed safely at Minot, North Dakota. The Air Force confirmed a B-52 jet bomber assigned to Minot Air Force Base had conducted a ceremonial flyover of the North Dakota State Fair last Friday around the time of the SkyWest incident. The Air Force said the bomber cockpit crew was in contact with local air traffic control before, during and after the flyover, and that the Minot International Airport control tower "did not advise of the inbound commercial aircraft" as the B-52 was departing the area. The FAA has said that air traffic services were provided by the Minot air traffic control tower, which is run by a private company and not FAA employees. The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating a March 28 close call involving a Delta Airbus A319 jet and a group of Air Force jets near Reagan Washington National Airport. The four Air Force T-38 Talons were heading to nearby Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover at the time. 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.
Toronto Star
6 days ago
- Toronto Star
Close call between a B-52 bomber and a commercial jet over North Dakota puts focus on small airports
The evasive action an airline pilot took to avoid a B-52 bomber in the skies over North Dakota has focused attention on the way small airport towers are often run by private companies without their own radars. Neither one of the pilots of the bomber or of the Delta Air Lines jet seemed to know the other plane was there before the airline pilot saw the B-52 looming in its path. The incident last Friday is still under investigation. But the Air Force has said the controller at the Minot airport didn't let the bomber's crew know about the airliner, and the SkyWest pilot flying the Delta flight told passengers he was surprised.
The Independent
6 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Close call between a B-52 bomber and a commercial jet over North Dakota puts focus on small airports
The evasive action an airline pilot took to avoid a B-52 bomber in the skies over North Dakota has focused attention on the way small airport towers are often run by private companies without their own radars. Neither one of the pilots of the bomber or of the Delta Air Lines jet seemed to know the other plane was there before the airline pilot saw the B-52 looming in its path. The incident last Friday is still under investigation. But the Air Force has said the controller at the Minot airport didn't let the bomber's crew know about the airliner, and the SkyWest pilot flying the Delta flight told passengers he was surprised. Passengers were alarmed by the sharp turn and dive the pilot of Delta Flight 3788 executed to avoid the bomber that had just completed a flyover at the State Fair in Minot, and a video shot aboard the plane captured the pilot's explanation afterward. 'Sorry about the aggressive maneuver. It caught me by surprise,' the pilot can be heard saying on the video posted on social media. 'This is not normal at all. I don't know why they didn't give us a heads-up.' This close call is just the latest incident to raise questions about aviation safety in the wake of January's midair collision over Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people. Here's more about the way small airports like Minot operate: Many small airports lack radar It is common for small airports across the country to operate without their own radar systems because it would be too costly to install them at every airport. But there generally aren't many problems with that. The controllers at small airports are able to guide planes in to land visually with binoculars and radios as long as the weather is clear. Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti, who used to investigate crashes for both the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, said if the weather is bad, a regional FAA radar facility may be able to help, but ultimately planes simply won't land if the weather is too bad. Sometimes small airport towers do have a video feed that gives controllers a view of a radar screen at an FAA facility miles away. Because the radar is so far away the display may not be as detailed about planes flying close to the ground, but the system does give controllers more information. It's not clear if the Minot tower has one of those systems because the company that runs it, Midwest Air Traffic Control Inc., hasn't responded to questions since the incident. The overlapping network of FAA radar facilities across the country also keeps track of planes flying between airports, and an approach control radar center in Minneapolis helps direct planes in and out of Minot before controllers at the airport take over once they see the planes. The Minot airport typically handles between 18 and 24 flights a day. That's how it works at many small airports. 'Most times it works just fine,' Guzzetti said. Some of these small airports could gain radar as part of a massive overhaul of the air traffic control system, but that will depend on how busy the airports are and how much funding Congress ultimately approves for the multibillion-dollar project. So far, $12.5 billion was included in President Trump's overall budget bill. Private companies operate the towers The FAA says that 265 airport towers nationwide are operated by companies as part of the contract system. The Transportation Department's Inspector General has said the contract towers that handle more than one quarter of the nation's flights are more cost effective than comparable FAA towers and have similar safety records. In some cases, local governments help pay the costs of contract towers. The program began in 1982 at five less busy towers that had closed because of the air traffic controller strike the previous year, and it has expanded significantly over the years because it has been so successful. Most of the airports with contract towers would have no controllers without the program. 'Common sense would tell you that having an extra set of eyes controlling the local traffic — especially in good weather — would be safer than having no controller and just having the pilots talking to each other,' Guzzetti said. That's exactly how it works at the vast majority of the 5,100 public airports nationwide that are smaller than Minot. Pilots at those uncontrolled airports use their radios to coordinate takeoffs and landings with other planes in the area. Only about 10% of all airports have towers. The FAA says it works closely with the companies that run contract towers to ensure their controllers are properly trained. It is easier to get certified at a contract tower because they handle fewer flights than FAA towers even though controllers are held to the same standard. More controllers are needed nationwide The ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers has persisted for years partly because it takes so long to train and certify new controllers. The FAA has said that it is roughly 3,000 short of the number of controllers it should have at its facilities. The staffing situation at private towers is similar because they hire from the same pool of candidates. All the roughly 1,400 controllers at these smaller airports have to meet the same qualification and training requirements. But contract towers also have the ability to hire controllers who retired from an FAA tower before the mandatory retirement age of 56. The contract towers don't have a retirement age. The FAA has been working for a long time to hire more air traffic controllers to replace retiring workers and handle growing air traffic. But it can be hard to find good candidates for the stressful positions who can complete the rigorous training. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has announced several efforts to hire and retain more controllers. The FAA is trying to shorten the time it takes between when someone applies to the air traffic controller academy in Oklahoma City and when they start training, and the agency is also trying to improve the graduation rate there by offering more support to the students. The candidates with the highest scores on the entrance exam are also getting top priority. The FAA is also offering bonuses to experienced controllers if they opt not to retire early and continue working to help ease the shortage.
