Helicopter Comes Close to United Airlines Flight at John Wayne Airport
A military helicopter intersected the path of a United Airlines flight during its landing approach at John Wayne Airport on the evening of March 24, as reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Around 8:40 p.m., a United Airlines Boeing 737-800 was descending when a Black Hawk helicopter flew in front of it, with only 525 feet of vertical distance and about 1,422 feet laterally separating the two. This detail was noted by Flightradar24.
United Airlines confirmed that air traffic control alerted the flight crew about the incoming helicopter, prompting them to adjust the plane’s altitude upon spotting the aircraft.
The warning issued to the pilots was classified as a Resolution Advisory (RA), the most critical collision avoidance alert a pilot can receive, according to the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). This alert guides pilots on necessary actions to avoid collisions and demands an immediate response.
“They saw the helicopter and received a traffic alert, which led them to level the aircraft. The United flight landed safely afterward,” a United statement read.
United flight 589 was carrying 162 passengers and 6 crew members, flying from San Francisco to Santa Ana.
This incident follows a serious mishap last year when an Army Black Hawk collided with an American Airlines jet near Washington, D.C., resulting in 67 fatalities. In response to that incident, the FAA initiated a new policy prohibiting the use of “visual separation” between aircraft and helicopters in congested airspace, mandating radar use for safe aircraft separation.
The FAA is currently investigating whether this new protocol was in effect during the brief encounter between the United flight and the Black Hawk helicopter.
This near miss occurred just two days after an Air Canada plane collided with a port authority fire truck at LaGuardia Airport, tragically killing both pilots and injuring others. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), that accident was linked to multiple systemic failures within the FAA and was fully preventable.
