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NEW: Black Hawk Helicopter Nearly Collides With Passenger Plane In California [VIDEO]
A United Airlines flight coming in to land at John Wayne Airport in Southern California had a close call Tuesday night when a military Black Hawk helicopter crossed in front of the passenger jet, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
United said its pilots had been alerted by air traffic controllers to the nearby Sikorsky Black Hawk during final approach into Santa Ana.
“They saw the helicopter, and also received a traffic alert, which they responded to by leveling the aircraft,” United said in a statement. “The United flight then landed safely.”
Preliminary radar data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft were separated by 525 feet vertically and just 1,422.43 feet, or 0.27 miles, when the helicopter crossed in front of the United plane.
The incident happened around 8:40 p.m. local time, the FAA said. The Boeing 737, with 168 people on board, was flying from San Francisco to Santa Ana.
The California National Guard confirmed Thursday that an Army National Guard helicopter on a “routine training mission” was involved. The Guard said the helicopter was returning to Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos along an established Visual Flight Rules route, at an assigned altitude and in communication with air traffic control. The helicopter also landed safely.
An urgent investigation is underway after a military Black Hawk helicopter crossed in front of a packed passenger flight as it attempted to land in California. The pilots took evasive action to avoid a possible midair crash. @TrevorLAult reports. https://t.co/951zGOKD6E pic.twitter.com/gMaOsMbQHw
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) March 26, 2026
“A thorough review will be conducted in coordination with the appropriate agencies,” the California National Guard said.
The FAA said it is investigating the close call, including whether a newer safety step meant to limit “visual separation” between airplanes and helicopters was applied. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is aware of the incident but had no additional details to share.
The alert United’s pilots received is considered the most serious level of anti-collision warning, requiring immediate action and providing direct instructions to avoid an impact.
RELATED: Gut-Wrenching Footage Shows Tragic Plane Crash At LaGuardia Airport
The near miss comes as aviation safety remains under a microscope after a series of high-profile incidents. Two days earlier, a regional Air Canada jet collided with a Port Authority fire truck after landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, killing two pilots and injuring dozens. And last year, an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet collided midair near Washington, D.C., as the jet was landing, killing 67 people.
After that crash, the FAA implemented a new measure that suspends reliance on visual separation in certain high-traffic areas near busy airports where helicopters commonly cross arrival and departure paths. The policy requires controllers to use radar to actively manage aircraft spacing with specific lateral or vertical separation standards.
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