A B-52 bomber narrowly avoided collisions with two different aircraft near Minot, North Dakota, last month, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The incident occurred on July 19, following a flyover at the North Dakota State Fair.
Initially, a SkyWest commercial airliner had to make an "aggressive maneuver" to avoid the bomber. The pilot of Delta Flight 3788, operated by SkyWest, described the maneuver as surprising, captured in a video by a passenger. The airliner and the B-52 came within 1.25 miles of each other.
Shortly after, the B-52 came within 0.33 miles of a privately operated Piper PA-28-151 light aircraft. This second close call was not previously reported. The NTSB's report highlights confusion in communication between the a