FAA probes close call involving United plane, Army helicopter in CA
FAA probes close call involving United plane, Army helicopter in CA
Thao Nguyen, USA TODAYFri, March 27, 2026 at 1:29 AM UTC
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The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a close call involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a United Airlines jet approaching a Southern California airport earlier this week, authorities said Thursday, March 26.
On Tuesday, March 24, United Airlines Flight 589 was on approach to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, when a Black Hawk crossed in front of the plane, according to the FAA. The incident occurred at around 8:40 p.m. local time, and Flightradar24, a flight tracking website, said the aircraft were 525 feet apart vertically.
The passenger plane, which had 162 passengers and six crew members aboard, had departed from San Francisco and was advised by air traffic control to watch for a military helicopter flying near the airport, according to United Airlines.
Pilots on the plane leveled the aircraft after seeing the helicopter and receiving a cockpit alert, the airline said. The plane later landed safely.
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The California National Guard said the helicopter, which is based at Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, was returning to Los Alamitos, California, airfield along an established Visual Flight Rules route after a routine training mission. The agency added that it was in communication with air traffic control during the flight.
"A thorough review will be conducted in coordination with the appropriate agencies," the National Guard said in a statement.
The FAA said it was investigating the incident and whether it violated a new measure that suspends the use of visual separation between airplanes and helicopters. The new policy was announced last week to "enhance safety in areas where helicopters often cross both arrival and departure paths near busy airports," according to the agency.
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On March 18, the FAA issued a new rule requiring air traffic controllers to use radar to separate airplane and helicopter traffic near major airport arrival and departure tracks. Before the new policy, controllers largely relied on pilots to use visual separation.
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“Visual separation occurs when air traffic controllers advise pilots about nearby aircraft and allow them to remain visually clear of the other aircraft, in lieu of standard separation,” the agency said in a news release. “The FAA’s data analysis revealed for high-traffic areas, visual separation was not enough of a safety mitigation tool.”
Earlier on March 26, two U.S. House committees unanimously passed sweeping aviation safety reform legislation, including addressing concerns about separation between helicopters and airplanes.
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The FAA’s new rule and the legislation come after regulators grappled with the fallout from the January 2025 mid-air collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet over the Potomac River.
The crash killed 67 people and was caused by several failures, including the loss of separation between the helicopter and the plane. Following the collision, the FAA restricted helicopter traffic around Reagan Washington National Airport and imposed restrictions at other airports.
The FAA also cited two recent incidents that led to the new policy, including a near-miss on Feb. 27 between an American Airlines flight and a police helicopter, which were on converging courses near the San Antonio International Airport in Texas when the helicopter made a left turn to avoid the plane.
The second incident occurred on March 2, when a Beechcraft 99 was cleared to land at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Southern California as a helicopter was on its final approach path, according to the FAA. The helicopter made a right-hand turn to avoid the Beechcraft.
Contributing: Zach Wichter, USA TODAY; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Army helicopter crossed in front of United flight approaching airport
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