A regional jet flying on behalf of Delta Air Lines had to make a last minute maneuver to avoid a B-52 bomber, and the level of detail in which the pilot communicated this to passengers is quite something.
While I first covered this a couple of days ago, I’d like to provide an update, as we now have a statement from the Air Force, with their version of events, and it makes this situation even stranger.
In this post:
Delta plane has close call with military jet in North Dakota
This incident happened on Thursday, July 18, 2025, and it involves Delta flight DL3788, operating from Minneapolis, Minnesota (MSP), to Minot, North Dakota (MOT). The 449-mile flight was flown by an Embraer E175 operated by SkyWest, under the Delta Connection brand, which is Delta’s regional subsidiary.
The roughly 90-minute flight was mostly routine, and if you look at flight tracking software, you’ll simply see that the plane had a missed approach at Minot, circled back around, and came in for a successful landing. That’s hardly out of the ordinary, at least on the surface.

However, the actual details of the incident are a bit more dramatic. A TikTok user posted a video online with the audio of the pilot explaining to passengers what happened, and it has now been viewed millions of times. Note that the audio only starts part way into the explanation:
“For those of you on the right hand side, you probably saw the airplane kind of sort of coming at us. Nobody told us about it, so we continued and there’s no radar here, so the tower does everything visually. So they sent us about six miles from the airport, so we did that, I think he realized that the spacing wasn’t going to work, and I looked over and there was an airplane that was supposed to be on the right hand side.”
“I thought it was a small airplane, like the ones you see at the airport right now doing touch and goes. And he said turn right, and I said there’s an airplane over there, and he says turn left, and by the time we read back the clearance, we looked over and saw the airplane that was kind of coming on a convergent course with us.”
“So given his speed, it was a military aircraft, it was the safest thing to do to turn behind it. So sorry for the aggressive maneuver, it caught me by surprise, and it’s not normal at all. I don’t know why they didn’t give us a heads up. Because the airport base does have radar, and nobody said ‘hey, there’s also a B-52 in the pattern.’ Long story short, it wasn’t fun, and I do apologize for it, and I thank you for your understanding. Not a fun day at work.”
You can listen to the audio for yourself below.
For those curious why there was B-52 near a small regional airport in North Dakota, it’s because Minot Air Force Base is also in this area, and there are dozens of B-52s stationed there.
It’s exceedingly rare to see a pilot go into this level of detail with passengers about an incident. I’m conflicted about this.
On the one hand, a major point of frustration that air travelers have is the lack of transparency when things go wrong, ranging from weather delays, to maintenance issues. This guy deserves huge credit for communicating transparently, and it seems that passengers greatly appreciate that — you can hear everyone clapping at the end, and the comments on TikTok are basically universally praising the pilot.
On the other hand, he could’ve just as easily said “sorry about that maneuver, we had to perform a go around due to some traffic, we’ll be landing again soon,” and no one would’ve likely thought more of it. It almost seems like he’s sharing this level of detail over the PA in order to process his own feelings about the incident.
As you’d expect, talking about having to perform an “aggressive maneuver” to avoid a military aircraft is something that is fresh in peoples’ minds, given the fatal January 2025 accident, where a Black Hawk helicopter crashed into an American Eagle jet.
Air Force states that all policies were being followed
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now investing this incident, and the Minot Air Force Base has issued a statement about the incident:
On Friday, July 18, at approximately 7:50 p.m., a B-52 bomber from Minot AFB conducted a flyover at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. This flyover was a special event recognizing the city of Minot as a ‘Great American Defense Community,’ an honor that highlights the city’s strong support for the military.
The flyover was planned in advance and approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. This included the FAA’s local Flight Standards District Office, Minot International Airport air traffic control personnel, and Minot Approach Control (RAPCON).
At approximately 7:10 p.m. prior to the flyover, the B-52 crew contacted Minot Approach (RAPCON) to prepare for the flyover. Required checklists were completed, and the crew remained in contact with Minot Approach as it flew to its holding point 12 miles east of the fairgrounds. While holding, the B-52 crew communicated the flyover plan to both RAPCON and Minot International Airport’s air traffic control tower.
At 7:40 p.m., the B-52 crew advised Minot Approach they were departing the holding point for the fairgrounds.
Minot Approach directed the B-52 crew at 7:43 p.m. to contact Minot International Airport’s air traffic control. The B-52 crew contacted Minot International Airport tower and the tower provided instructions to continue 2 miles westbound after the flyover. The tower did not advise of the inbound commercial aircraft.
The B-52 crossed the fairgrounds show center at 7:50 p.m. and proceeded west as directed to clear Minot International Tower’s airspace before returning to Minot AFB.
It sounds like the Air Force followed all procedures here, so it’s going to be interesting to see what an investigation reveals.
Bottom line
A Delta regional jet was forced to perform a last minute “aggressive maneuver” to avoid a B-52 bomber, while landing in North Dakota. Purely from looking at flight tracking, you wouldn’t think much of the aborted landing, though the pilot gave quite the detailed account of what happened. Kudos to the pilot, I don’t think you can be much more transparent about an incident than he was.
What’s strange about this is that the Minot Air Force Base claims this B-52 was performing a flyover, and had been in touch with air traffic control regarding its plans, so this shouldn’t have been a surprise. It’ll be interesting to see what an FAA investigation reveals.
What do you make of this incident, and the pilot’s communication?
Ben, thank God they are near misses. But there does seem to be alot of reports in the news and here of near misses.
USA just needs to confess it spends billions on incompetency. Maybe it would be cheaper to subcontract the military to another country. USA can’t win wars, can’t even run maneuvers correctly.
Sadly that seems to be the trend these days.....
didnt you complain that the pilot was unprofessional for being honest about the situation in your original post?
That's a bit of an exaggeration. Ben implied that perhaps the pilot said more than strictly needed in part because of wanting to process things and get things off his chest. I think that's a reasonable assumption to make given the circumstances -- the pilot narrowly averted catastrophe and was probably shaken up.
Ben never used the word unprofessional. Stop creating drama where there is none.
Hey Ben, no post on DL's SLC-LIM? sure such an odd route deserves one, curious about what Tim D has to say about it
SLC is a Delta hub.
LIM is a Latam Peru hub.
DL and LA/LP are working together. Why would this route be odd?
You're right, Klaus
DL doesn't fly anywhere south of CUN from SLC
SLC is the smallest DL international gateway
LA has also hubs at BOG, GRU and SCL which are bigger markets than LIM
DL codeshares on LA's double daily LIM-LAX which provides a one-stop option to LIM for the much larger west coast market (compared to the rocky mountain basin)
But you're right, this route isn't odd
pues .... " ! Caso CERRADO ! " ...
...lol
@ GGC -- I didn't cover it since the route lasts for under two months, so it's hardly a permanent addition. Still interesting, though!
You're right, did miss it when I saw the announcement
We need to get rid of our Air Force and the military. The US spends an unbelievable sum of taxpayer funds on useless military nonsense. Those funds are much better spent on healthcare, transit infrastructure, basic research and education but half the country is too ignorant to appreciate the value in that.
Wait for it, buddy…
A dangerous communist, aren’t you?
How dare you propose such a reckless, subversive idea? That kind of ideological contagion belongs to the misguided utopians across the ocean — not here, in this sacred bastion of liberty...You absolute fool.
Wait for it, buddy…
Still brainwashed by dangerous communist propaganda?
All the wars fought in the last 40 years wasn't against communism.
That kind of ideological contagion belongs to the misguided hypocrites here, in this sacred propaganda tool of liberty...You absolute fool.
Hello Bad_Krap_Arps now reinvented itself as yet another bogus law firm character …. David Polk.
Do you really think that readers are unable to see through your Walter Mitty impersonations?
Might I suggest a rewarding trip to Ukraine right now for some 'well deserved' rest & relaxation ?
...lol