A military helicopter crossed paths with a United Airlines aircraft in an air traffic control mishap. The pilots were instructed to either descend or climb to avoid colliding with the helicopter. The aircraft was carrying six crew members and 162 passengers. The California National Guard confirmed that the helicopter was performing a routine training mission, as reported by ABC News.
A United flight nearly collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter Tuesday night near John Wayne Airport in California.
• United Flight 589, a Boeing 737-800, was on final approach around 8:40 p.m. and missed the helicopter by a few hundred feet.
• The aircraft… pic.twitter.com/HG8SXo5TDi
— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) March 27, 2026
United Airlines told People, “During final approach to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, pilots on United flight 589 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, which they responded to by leveling the aircraft. The United flight then landed safely.”
As per the Los Angeles Times, when the pilot was instructed to avoid a collision, air traffic control responded, “We’re going to be addressing that, because that was not good.”
The United Airlines Boeing 737-800 jet set out from San Francisco and was headed toward John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California. The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into the matter as well. The FAA also issued a statement, saying,
“The FAA is investigating the event that occurred around 8:40 p.m. local time on Tuesday, March 24, including whether a new measure to suspend the use of visual separation between airplanes and helicopters was applied.”
#BreakingNews: The FAA is investigating a close call after a Black Hawk helicopter reportedly crossed into the path of a United Airlines flight as the plane was approaching John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana. pic.twitter.com/7P128v6ZIi
— KTLA (@KTLA) March 26, 2026
Two U.S. House committees have already voted 62-0 to pass new aviation norms, which the FAA has already approved. This happened in the wake of the January 2025 collision between a civil and military aircraft that resulted in the death of 67 people near Reagan Washington National Airport.
Earlier this month, the United States Department of Transportation mandated that air traffic controllers rely on radar to manage aircraft flight paths. They have been barred from telling pilots to use vision or line of sight to avoid collisions altogether.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford released a statement citing the policy change. He said, “Following the mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), we looked at similar operations across the national airspace. We identified an overreliance on pilot ‘see and avoid’ operations that contribute to safety events involving helicopters and airplanes.”
