According to American media reports on July 21, a passenger plane preparing to land in North Dakota’s Midwest was forced to make a sharp turn of flight to avoid colliding with an American Air Force B-52 strategic bomber.
A witness captured the B-52 bomber on July 18, as reported by multiple media outlets. The SkyWest Airlines flight 3788 from Minneapolis, Minnesota, was flying towards the Manitoba International Airport in North Dakota and had been granted permission to land by the tower. However, a B-52 bomber suddenly appeared on its path, forcing the flight to turn right and then climb around before attempting and successfully landing again.
According to pilot recordings shared on social media, he explained to passengers, “I don’t understand why they didn’t notify us in advance because the airbase has radar… In short, it wasn’t a pleasant experience.” He mentioned that the bomber was much faster than the passenger plane, and making a sharp turn was the safest way to avoid collision.
The U.S. Air Force did not provide specific details about the incident but stated that
a B-52 bomber was performing a flyover at the Manitoba International Airport at the time.
The Manitoba Air Force Base is located about 20 kilometers north of the airport, where the fifth bomber wing of the U.S. Air Force is stationed.
American media commentaries pointed out that this near-collision event once again highlights
the issues in coordination between the U.S. military and civil aviation authorities regarding shared airspace.
On the evening of January 29 this year, a passenger plane carrying 64 people from Pacific Southwest Airlines collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers at Washington Dulles International Airport in the capital, resulting in both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River and no survivors.