Overview

• On July 18, SkyWest Flight 3788, an Embraer E175 operating as Delta Connection, executed a go-around over Minot International Airport to avoid a nearby B-52 Stratofortress conducting a state fair flyover.
• The pilot’s post-flight apology to passengers cited a lack of warning from Minot Air Force Base, despite its radar capability.
• Minot’s control tower relies on visual separation without radar, raising safety concerns at smaller airports hosting military and civilian traffic.
• SkyWest Airlines has launched an internal investigation, and both the FAA and U.S. Air Force have formally opened probes into the incident.
• The near-miss adds to a series of civil-military airspace conflicts in 2025 and is prompting renewed scrutiny of coordination and regulatory oversight.