The U.S. Air Force is reviewing a potentially dangerous incident involving a B-52 Stratofortress and a SkyWest commercial airliner near Minot, North Dakota, on the evening of July 18.

The near miss, caught on video by a passenger and now circulating online, has raised fresh concerns about airspace coordination between military and civilian aviation.

The SkyWest flight, operating as Flight 3788 from Minneapolis to Minot International Airport, was on final approach when its pilot was forced to take evasive action to avoid a collision with what turned out to be a military aircraft—later confirmed by the Air Force to be a B-52 bomber from nearby Minot Air Force Base.

“He [the air traffic controller] said turn right,” the SkyWest pilot told passengers over the plane’s intercom, as captured in a video taken by Monica Green, a passenger aboard the flight. “I said, ‘There’s an airplane over there.’ And he says, turn left.”

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According to the pilot, the other aircraft—identified as a B-52—was “kind of coming on a converging course with us.”

He continued, “The other plane was a military aircraft that was flying a lot faster than us. I felt it was the safest thing to do, to turn behind it.”

The pilot apologized to passengers for the sharp maneuver, explaining, “Sorry about the aggressive maneuver. It caught me by surprise. This is not normal at all. … Long story short, it was not fun, but I do apologize for it, and thank you for understanding.”

The passengers responded with a round of applause after the pilot concluded, “Not a fun day at work.”

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In her interview with The New York Times, Green described the sudden bank to the right as so extreme that she was staring directly at cornfields out her window. T

he maneuver, while unsettling, was ultimately successful in avoiding what could have been a catastrophic midair collision.

Adding to the concern, the SkyWest pilot questioned why no advance warning was given by the Air Force.

“Nobody said, ‘Hey, there’s also a B-52 in the pattern,’” he reportedly told passengers, also asking aloud why Minot Air Force Base “didn’t give us a heads up.”

SkyWest confirmed that their aircraft was cleared for approach by air traffic control when “another aircraft became visible in their flight path.”

In a statement provided to Air Force Times, the airline said, “Flight 3788 was flying from Minneapolis to Minot, North Dakota, on Friday evening. Air traffic controllers cleared flight 3788 to approach Minot International Airport for a landing when another aircraft became visible in their flight path.”

The commercial jet aborted its landing and circled above the airport before safely touching down. SkyWest confirmed that it is now investigating the incident.

The U.S. Air Force also issued a statement acknowledging awareness of the situation. A spokesperson confirmed that a B-52 from Minot Air Force Base had performed a flyover that evening at the North Dakota State Fair, which was taking place nearby. However, the Air Force stopped short of confirming whether the near miss occurred or whether an official investigation had been initiated.

“We are aware of the recent reporting regarding commercial and Air Force aircraft operating in airspace around Minot International Airport,” the spokesperson said. “We are currently looking into the matter.”

This close call comes at a time when concerns about midair safety are already heightened.

Just six months ago, a deadly collision over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport claimed 67 lives when an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with a passenger plane.

That tragedy was followed by another unnerving incident on May 1, when the presence of a Black Hawk in D.C. airspace forced two commercial jets to divert from their landing paths at Reagan National.

The July 18 encounter highlights the ongoing risks involved when military and commercial aircraft share increasingly crowded airspace.

While military flyovers are routine and often celebrated at public events like the North Dakota State Fair, the apparent lack of coordination in this instance raises important questions about air traffic control communication and inter-agency protocols.

As both SkyWest and the Air Force investigate, aviation experts and passengers alike will be watching closely.

The goal, above all, will be ensuring that future flyovers and flight paths are better communicated and managed—before another close call becomes a disaster.

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