SkyWest flight forced into emergency maneuver after near miss with B-52 bomber VIDEO

A SkyWest-operated Delta flight was forced to perform a last-minute go-around after coming dangerously close to a B-52 bomber during its final approach to Minot International Airport in North Dakota.

According to a statement from SkyWest, air traffic control had cleared the flight to land when the pilot “performed a go-around when another aircraft became visible in their flight path.” The aircraft was later identified by the pilot as a B-52 bomber, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The US Air Force confirmed that it is “looking into” reports of a military aircraft operating in the same airspace as the commercial jet. The Air Force added that a B-52 from Minot Air Force Base had conducted a flyover of the North Dakota State Fair that evening.

A Delta regional jet on approach to Minot, North Dakota, made an "aggressive maneuver" to avoid a mid-air collision with a B-52 bomber, according to the Delta pilot. Mola Lenghi has more. https://t.co/o8FfvpzruN pic.twitter.com/xD7MdsWrEH

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Delta Flight 3788, which departed from Minneapolis, landed safely in Minot after the evasive maneuver. SkyWest confirmed it is investigating the incident.

In a video posted to social media, the SkyWest pilot apologized to passengers for what he described as an "aggressive maneuver."

“So, sorry about the aggressive maneuver. It caught me by surprise,” the pilot said. “This is not normal at all. I don't know why they didn't give us a heads up.”

He explained that the air traffic control tower had first instructed him to turn right, but when he did, he saw the B-52. After being told to turn left, he spotted another aircraft on a converging course and made the decision to turn behind it. “Long story short, it was not fun, but I do apologize for it, and thank you for understanding,” he concluded, prompting applause from passengers.

Passenger Monica Green, who filmed the video, recalled feeling “so sick to my stomach that that was so close to happening.” She described the aircraft turning sharply and seeing only grass out the window, not the skyline.

The pilot also noted that Minot’s control tower lacks radar and operates solely on visual cues. Aviation analyst Jeff Guzzetti explained that many small US airports rely on coordination with military radar facilities, emphasizing, “you need good coordination between the military base and the local civilian airport.”

By Vafa Guliyeva