Overview

• On July 18, SkyWest flight 3788, operating as Delta Connection, executed an aggressive go-around to avoid a converging B-52 Stratofortress near Minot, North Dakota.
• The pilot apologized to passengers, saying the abrupt maneuver caught him by surprise and that no warning was given despite the Air Force base’s radar capabilities.
• Minot’s control tower lacks its own radar system and relies on visual separation to sequence arrivals, leaving crews vulnerable to fast-moving traffic.
• SkyWest Airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Air Force have each launched formal investigations to determine root causes and recommend safety improvements.
• The incident is part of a broader pattern of close calls in U.S. airspace that has exposed coordination gaps in shared military-civil flight corridors.