SkyWest flight nearly collides midair with Air Force B-52 near North Dakota airport

Pilot debriefs passengers after narrowly avoiding mid-air collision with military bomber

A SkyWest flight from Minneapolis narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with an Air Force B-52 bomber near Minot International Airport (MOT) in North Dakota on Friday, July 18, thanks to the pilot?s swift actions. (Credit: Monica Green via Storyful)

A SkyWest flight nearly avoided a midair collision with an Air Force B-52 bomber near Minot International Airport (MOT) in North Dakota last week. 

The flight had originated from Minneapolis. 

The backstory:

Passenger Monica Green onboard flight DL3788 recorded a video of the pilot’s announcement, in which he explained the "aggressive maneuver" he performed to avoid colliding with the nearby bomber.

(Photo by Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

What they're saying:

"So sorry about the aggressive maneuver, it caught me by surprise, this is not normal at all. I don’t know why they didn’t give us a heads up, because the Air Force base does have radar … long story short, it was not fun, but I do apologize for it and thank you for understanding. Not a not a fun day at work," the pilot can be heard saying in the video.

"SkyWest flight 3788, operating as Delta Connection from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Minot, North Dakota on July 18, 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. We are investigating the incident," the airline said in a statement to FOX Television Stations. 

What's next:

The flight, which was operating as a Delta connection between Minneapolis–Saint Paul airport and MOT, landed safely and the incident was under investigation by SkyWest, according to ABC News.