SkyWest Pilot Apologizes for Near Miss: Aggressive Maneuver Averted Midair Collision with Military Aircraft. A SkyWest Delta Connection flight from Minneapolis to Minot experienced a near-miss Friday night, forcing the pilot to perform an aggressive maneuver to avoid a collision with a military aircraft. The pilot, in a recorded message, apologized to passengers for the unexpected turbulence, citing a lack of warning from air traffic control. Both SkyWest and the Air Force are investigating the incident
Speaking to passengers after making a safe landing in Minot just after 8 p.m. local time, based on FlightAware data, the pilot said the air traffic control tower had failed to notify the crew about another aircraft being on a converging course with them, prompting them to act fast.
“Sorry about the aggressive maneuver,” the pilot, who has not been named in reports, said, according to a video from the plane verified by NBC News. “It caught me by surprise. This is not normal at all. I don’t know why they didn’t give us a heads up.”
“Long story short, it was not fun, but I do apologize for it and thank you for understanding. It’s not a fun day at work,” they continued.
The airline confirmed the incident, adding that it is has already launched a probe.
“SkyWest flight 3788, operating as Delta Connection from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Minot, North Dakota, 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,” the airline said in a statement to HuffPost. “We are investigating the incident.”
Meanwhile, the Air Force also said it is looking into the reports of last week’s incident, while confirming that a B-52 aircraft was operating in the area on Friday night.
In their message to passengers, the pilot shared they believed the aircraft they almost collided with was a military plane given its speed.
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“I don’t know how fast they were going, but they were a lot faster than us. I felt it was the safest thing to do to turn behind it,” he added.
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