A United Airlines flight on final approach into Orange County nearly collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter this week, prompting yet another FAA investigation into a close call that never should have happened.
United Airlines Jet And Army Black Hawk In Close Call Over Southern California
The incident occurred Tuesday evening, March 24, 2026, as United flight 589, a Boeing 737-800 arriving from San Francisco (SFO), was descending into John Wayne Airport (SNA).
At around 8:40 p.m., a military helicopter crossed directly in front of the aircraft on final approach.
According to the FAA, the two aircraft came within roughly 525 feet vertically and about a quarter-mile horizontally, well inside what anyone would consider comfortable margins, even if technically not a collision.
Worryingly, the helicopter crossed the flight path of a descending passenger jet on final approach, perhaps the most critical phase of the flight.
The Black Hawk, operated by the California Army National Guard, was returning from a routine training mission and was flying under visual flight rules while in communication with air traffic control.
United said its pilots were aware of the helicopter and responded immediately:
“They saw the helicopter, and also received a traffic alert, which they responded to by leveling the aircraft. The United flight then landed safely.”
Thankfully, the plane and helicopter landed safely.
That explanation may satisfy investigators, but it should not reassure passengers. “Routine training mission” and “final approach into a busy commercial airport” do not belong in the same sentence.
TCAS Did Its Job…Again
A big reason this did not become something far worse is because of a redundant safety system.
The United flight received a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) alert, forcing the pilots to level off and avoid the helicopter.
Technology and pilot response prevented what airspace management failed to prevent. Thankfully, the mutiple layers of protection worked this time around.
The FAA has already opened an investigation, including whether the incident violated newer restrictions on so-called “visual separation” near busy airports.
United Airlines Flight 589 was on approach to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, when a Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter crossed in front of United’s flight path.
The FAA is investigating the event that occurred around 8:40 p.m. local time on Tuesday, March 24, including whether a new measure to suspend the use of visual separation between airplanes and helicopters was applied.
We’ve seen many close calls in U.S. airspace over the last two years, including multiple incidents involving military aircraft operating near commercial traffic corridors. And of course, this comes after last year’s deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C., which prompted promises of reform and tighter procedures.
Yet here we are again with another incident that was too close for comfort.
CONCLUSION
No one was hurt. The aircraft landed safely. The system worked. But the real question is why these situations keep happening in the first place. A helicopter crossing directly in front of a commercial jet on final approach should not be something that happens ever, even if tragedy was avoided this time.
image: @formulanone / Flickr
And here we go again… This is why history is taught to learn and remember because it often tends to repeat itself.
Thankfully it didn’t repeat this time; but it sure rhymed; close-call.
TCAS and its successor (ACAS) should be mandatory on all aircraft, piloted or autonomous, passenger or cargo, civil or military, airplane/drone/helicopter. Seems like a total no-brainer.
There appears to be a problem in U.S. airspace.
Fortunately, TCAS and UA pilots just saved the lives of a lot of people.
Güntürk – and on the ground at airports also