A Delta connection service was forced to execute an emergency "go-around" to avoid a mid-air collision with a US Air Force B-52 bomber, flight records have shown.
The SkyWest-operated flight, travelling from Minneapolis to Minot in North Dakota, was on its final approach when the pilot initiated what he labelled an "aggressive manoeuvre" after spotting the B-52 heading towards him.
The pilot later told passengers that the control tower had failed to alert him to the bomber's presence nearby.
Speaking to flyers after the incident, the pilot explained that he initially mistook the approaching aircraft for a smaller plane before recognising it as a military bomber travelling at considerable speed towards their flight path.
PA
|The pilot explained that he initially mistook the hulking B-52 bomber for a smaller plane
"Sorry about the aggressive manoeuvre, it caught me by surprise," the pilot told those on board.
"This is not normal at all. I don't know why they didn't give us a heads-up."
He revealed that Minot's control tower operates without radar, relying solely on visual observation, and had directed him to turn right when he encountered the B-52.
The pilot determined that executing a turn behind the bomber while aborting his landing was the safest course of action.
Now, aviation tracking records have revealed that the SkyWest flight executed a sharp rightward turn on its approach into Minot.
MORE US IN-FLIGHT CHAOS:
- Virgin flight descends into chaos after teenagers used fake ID to buy alcohol and get drunk on plane as police arrest them upon landing
- Plane forced to U-turn above the Atlantic FOUR HOURS into flight after man 'tried to force his way into cockpit'
- Dozens of passengers evacuated from Southwest flight after phone battery bursts into flames
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
|'Sorry about the aggressive manoeuvre, it caught me by surprise,' the SkyWest pilot told passengers
The plane went on to gain altitude as it circled around before trying to land a second time.
Meanwhile, the B-52 was conducting a display flight over the North Dakota State Fair in Minot, which hosts a major air force installation.
Monica Green, who filmed the pilot's announcement, said the incident left her feeling extremely anxious.
She recounted how the aircraft banked so sharply that she could only see the ground through her window.
"I just remember the plane going, like, sideways," she told NBC News, adding that the experience left her feeling "sick to my stomach" and apprehensive about her return journey.
REUTERS
|The B-52 was conducting a display flight over the North Dakota State Fair
Fellow passengers were heard applauding their pilot's swift response after he said: "It was not a fun day at work.
Have a nice evening, and I'm glad you are safe."
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the incident.
US Air Force representatives would only say that they were "currently looking into the matter."
While a spokesman for SkyWest said: "SkyWest flight 3788, operating as Delta connection from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Minot, North Dakota on July 18, landed safely in Minot after being cleared for approach by the tower but performed a go-around when another aircraft became visible in their flight path. We are investigating the incident."