FAA investigates United jet near-miss with Black Hawk helicopter in California
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating after a close call between a United Airlines passenger plane and a Black Hawk helicopter at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, on Tuesday night.
According to the FAA, as United Airlines Flight 589 was on final approach to John Wayne Airport, a Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter crossed in front of its flight path around 8:40 p.m.
A spokesperson for United Airlines told Fox News that the pilots of the Boeing 737-800 were advised by air traffic control to “watch for a military helicopter flying near the airport.”
“They saw the helicopter and also received a traffic alert, to which they responded by leveling the aircraft,” the spokesman said. “The United plane later landed safely.”
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A plane takes off from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California. (Mindy Schauer/Digital First Media/Orange County Record via Getty Images)
“Levelling” an aircraft means slowing or stopping the descent and maintaining a constant altitude to increase vertical separation.
The airline confirmed there were 162 passengers and six crew members on board, and no injuries were reported.
air traffic control audio obtained by New York Post He noted that the United flight came close enough to the Black Hawk to issue a collision avoidance warning, or “resolution advisory,” from its traffic avoidance system.
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A map of the plane’s route showed the near-collision situation in California. (FlightRadar24)
The warning indicates that a potential accident is only seconds away.
The controller said to the United plane, “United 589, just want to clarify here, did you receive a traffic call regarding the helicopter or did they restrict your altitude?” he reportedly asked.
“We had a resolution recommendation for United 589, RA,” one pilot replied.
“We will address this because this was not good,” the controller said.
The U.S. Army did not immediately respond to additional questions from Fox News Digital about the incident.
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The army’s Black Hawk helicopter flies overhead. (Getty Images)
The FAA said Thursday it is investigating whether a new measure suspending the use of visual separation between planes and helicopters has been implemented.
This measure, which came into effect following an investigation following the fatal crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) last year, was announced on March 18.
John Wayne Airport is in Santa Ana, California. (Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Record via Getty Images)
According to the FAA website, “The general notice suspending the use of visual separation between airplanes and helicopters (GENOT) now requires air traffic controllers to use radar to actively manage these aircraft to keep them separated at specified lateral or vertical distances.”
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On January 29, 2025, a Black Hawk Army helicopter collided mid-air with an American Airlines passenger plane near DCA, killing all 64 people on the commercial flight and three people on the military helicopter.
Tuesday’s incident occurred just days after an attack. Air Canada jet It collided with a fire truck on the runway at New York City’s LaGuardia airport, killing both pilots on board.
Fox News’ Terence Kenny and Jullia Bonavita contributed to this report.
