A recent incident involving a United Airlines flight and a military Black Hawk helicopter near John Wayne Airport in Southern California has raised concerns about aviation safety. On Tuesday evening at around 8:40 p.m., the passenger flight, which had 162 passengers and six crew members aboard, came alarmingly close to the helicopter as it returned from a training mission. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has since announced that it is investigating the situation.
The near-miss event occurred when the Black Hawk helicopter crossed into the flight path of United flight 589. The airline pilots, upon receiving a collision avoidance alarm, halted their descent and leveled off, successfully avoiding a potential collision. According to data from FlightRadar24, the aircraft came within 525 feet vertically and 1,422 feet laterally at their nearest approach.
This alarming occurrence draws attention to the gravity of aviation safety given the tragic events of the past year, including a collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., which resulted in the loss of 67 lives. This devastating accident marked the deadliest aviation crash on U.S. soil in over two decades, prompting heightened scrutiny regarding flight paths and regulations meant to prevent such near misses between different types of aircraft.
In light of the 2025 crash, the FAA updated its policies to enhance safety around airports across the country. The new directive mandates that air traffic controllers actively utilize radar for directing helicopters and planes in close proximity, rather than solely relying on pilots to visually avoid conflicts. Prior to this update, a traffic controller had asked the helicopter pilots if they had seen the approaching plane and permitted them to proceed, which has been one of the focal points of criticism following the crash.
In a statement following the recent close call in Santa Ana, California, the FAA confirmed that it would be examining whether or not the new rule was adequately applied in this case. United Airlines acknowledged the incident, detailing that the flight crew was advised by air traffic control to be vigilant for the nearby military helicopter. The pilots confirmed they had seen the helicopter and complied with the collision alert by maintaining their altitude.
Audio recordings from the traffic control tower at John Wayne Airport reveal that shortly after the near-miss, a controller inquired whether the United flight had been given any warnings regarding the helicopter. The pilot acknowledged receiving a “resolution advisory,” which is the most critical alert generated by the aircraft's anti-collision system. The controller promptly remarked, “We’re going to be addressing that, because that was not good.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the California National Guard stated that the Black Hawk helicopter, based at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, was conducting routine training and was in communication with air traffic control while flying at an assigned altitude. It remains unclear if there have been any temporary changes to flight paths or training routes following the incident.
Additionally, the incident occurred just two days after another serious aviation event: an Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck on a runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport, resulting in the tragic deaths of both pilots. This pattern of near misses and accidents underscores the ongoing challenges and critical need for stringent safety measures in air travel, particularly in busy airspace.
