Commercial flight pilot is slightly deflecting to avoid collision with B-52 bomber and apologize to passengers

Passengers on a Delta Air Lines regional flight lived moments of tension when the pilot had to perform a sudden maneuver to avoid a possible collision with a US Air Force B-52 bomber. The incident occurred last weekend during Skywest flight 3788, operated as Delta Connection, between Minneapolis (Minnesota) and Minot (Northern Dakota).

The commercial plane was preparing to land in Minot after receiving authorization from the control tower. However, according to Skywest, it was necessary to deflect the route after another aircraft unexpectedly appeared in its career. The pilot eventually apologized to the passengers, explaining that the aggressive maneuver had been done for safety reasons.

“More or less coming towards us,” can be heard in the audio captured on board, referring to the bomber. “No one told us anything,” said the pilot, visibly surprised by the situation.

The B-52 in question was participating in a planned overflow of the Northern Dakota State Fair, in honor of Minot’s city as a “large American defense community”. The bomber’s flight had been previously authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and coordinated with local air traffic controllers.

Despite this, Minot’s air base confirmed that the tower did not warn about the presence of the commercial plane. The tower in question is operated by a contracted service provider, not directly by FAA, which has already opened an investigation to the succeeded. The contractor, Midwest ATC, refused to comment.

Bomariro B-52 remained in a standard of waiting about 16 kilometers from the fair of the fair, in constant contact with the approach control and the tower. Still, the communication failure almost resulted in an unwanted meeting between two very distinct aircraft and missions.