Overview

• On July 18, SkyWest’s Embraer E175 flying as Delta Connection from Minneapolis to Minot executed a go-around and sharp turn to avoid a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress on converging approach.
• A cockpit recording of the Delta pilot apologizing to passengers for the sudden maneuver went viral, with the pilot noting the tower gave no warning of military aircraft despite nearby radar at Minot Air Force Base.
• Minot International’s contract tower lacks radar and relies on visual separation, a system investigators say may be insufficient in airspace shared with fast-moving military bombers.
• SkyWest Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration have launched parallel investigations, collecting flight data, controller logs and crew recordings to identify any procedural breaches.
• The incident has reignited debate over coordination between civilian controllers and military operations in dual-use airspace and could prompt new protocols to prevent mid-air near-misses.