Commercial jet avoids clash with bomber

(MENAFN) A regional U.S. passenger flight narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with a B-52 bomber while approaching Minot, North Dakota, on Friday. The Delta Airlines flight, operated by SkyWest and traveling from Minneapolis, had to make an abrupt evasive maneuver after the bomber unexpectedly crossed its path.

According to a video shared on Instagram, the pilot informed passengers after landing that he had spotted an aircraft approaching rapidly from the right and decided to veer behind it for safety. The incident occurred as the Minot airport was directing traffic visually due to a lack of radar guidance.

Passengers reportedly experienced a sharp bank during the avoidance maneuver, with one passenger, Monica Green, describing how her view shifted dramatically from sky to ground. All 76 passengers and four crew members were unharmed, SkyWest confirmed.

The B-52 involved was conducting a planned flyover for the North Dakota State Fair. The U.S. Air Force stated that Minot Airport had not notified them of the incoming commercial flight. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and SkyWest have launched investigations into the incident.

This close call comes months after a deadly crash in January, when a Black Hawk military helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft.

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