The skies over Minot, North Dakota, almost witnessed a mid-air disaster last Friday. A B-52H Stratofortress nearly collided with a SkyWest Airlines passenger aircraft, sparking questions about communication and radar operations in the area.
The SkyWest flight 3788 was in its final approach to Minot International Airport on July 18 when it suddenly had to take evasive action to avoid the military aircraft. Although both planes landed without incident, the close call was captured on video by a passenger and quickly circulated online.
In the video, the pilot of the civilian aircraft can be heard explaining, “Nobody told us about” the B-52 in the area. “There’s no radar here. The tower does everything visually. … This is not normal at all, I don’t know why they didn’t give us a heads up, because the Air Force base does have radar, and nobody said, ‘Hey, there’s also a B-52 in the pattern.’”
On the following Monday, Minot Air Force Base provided their account of the incident. According to their statement, the B-52’s flyover was pre-approved by the FAA and communicated to both the airport’s air traffic control and Minot base’s Radar Approach Control (RAPCON).
The Air Force explained that the B-52 crew reached out to RAPCON at approximately 7:10 pm for their flyover preparation, maintaining communication while holding 12 miles east of the fairgrounds. The crew reiterated their flyover intentions to both RAPCON and the airport tower.
At 7:40, the B-52 crew informed RAPCON of their route towards the fairgrounds, located about two miles southeast of the airport. Shortly thereafter, RAPCON advised the B-52 to coordinate with the airport tower, which they did. The tower then directed the B-52 to proceed two miles westbound post-flyover, yet did not mention an incoming passenger jet.
The flyover was executed at 7:50, with the B-52 continuing westward as instructed, ensuring clearance from the airport’s airspace before heading back to base.
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the event, with SkyWest conducting its own inquiry.
