The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation following a near-miss incident on Tuesday evening involving a United Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California.
As United Airlines flight 589 was making its final descent into the airport, a Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter unexpectedly entered its flight path around 8:40 p.m., as reported by the FAA.
A representative from United Airlines informed Fox News that the pilots of the Boeing 737-800 were alerted by air traffic control to “be aware of a military helicopter operating in the vicinity of the airport.”
According to the spokesperson, “The pilots visually identified the helicopter and also received a traffic alert, prompting them to stabilize the aircraft by leveling. The United flight subsequently landed without incident.”
Aircraft departing from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California. (Mindy Schauer/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
The term “leveling” in aviation refers to the maneuver of halting descent and maintaining a steady altitude to ensure increased vertical separation between aircraft.
The airline confirmed 162 passengers and six crew members were on board the plane and did not report any injuries.
Air traffic control audio obtained by the New York Post indicated the United flight got close enough to the Black Hawk to set off an anti-collision warning, or “resolution advisory,” from its traffic avoidance system.
A map of the aircraft’s path showed the near-collision in California. (FlightRadar24)
The alert suggests a potential crash was only seconds away.
“United 589, just want to clarify here, did you get, uh … just a traffic call reference to the helicopter or did they restrict your altitude or anything,” the controller reportedly asked the United flight.
“We had a resolution advisory for United 589, RA,” a pilot replied.
“We’re gonna be addressing that because that was not good,” the controller said.
The U.S. Army did not immediately respond to additional inquiries about the incident from Fox News Digital.
An Army Black Hawk helicopter hovers in the air. (Getty Images)
The FAA said Thursday it is investigating whether a new measure was applied, which suspends the use of visual separation between planes and helicopters.
That measure, enacted after a review after last year’s deadly crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), was announced March 18.
John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif. (Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
“The general notice (GENOT), which suspends the use of visual separation between airplanes and helicopters, now mandates that air traffic controllers will instead use radar to actively manage these aircraft to keep them separated at specific lateral or vertical distances,” according to the FAA website.
On Jan. 29, 2025, an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with an American Airlines passenger plane near DCA, killing all 64 people on the commercial flight and three aboard the military helicopter.
Tuesday’s incident occurred just days after an Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck on a runway at New York City’s LaGuardia airport, killing both pilots on board.
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