‘It was not fun’ Pilot reassures airline passengers after a wild maneuver to avoid a USAF bomber [Video]
There are a few jobs out there where you expect calm, cool customers to get the job done. At the top of that list, you likely want the airplane pilots ferrying you through the skies to keep it together, even in the face of danger. This SkyWest Airlines pilot got the memo, calmly addressing rattled passengers after an emergency maneuver to avoid a collision with a massive USAF bomber.
A USAF B-52H nearly collided with two civilian airplanes, including an airliner that had to perform an emergency maneuver
There are typically over 45,000 domestic airline flights in the US every day. For the most part, it’s business as usual with flights taking off and landing without issue. However, when an emergency arises, it’s nice to know there are cool-headed pilots like this in the air.
A SkyWest Airlines pilot took to the intercom earlier this year after making a jarring mid-flight maneuver. The reason for the wild move? The pilot had to avoid a collision with a US Air Force B-52H bomber.
“Those of you on the right-hand side, you probably saw the airplane kind of coming at us. Nobody told us about it,” the SkyWest pilot said to concerned travelers. He then calmly expressed some frustration that the Air Force didn’t notify them or the air traffic control.
“Because the Air Force base does have radar and nobody said, ‘Hey, there’s a B-52 in the pattern.” At first, ATC told the pilot to turn right to avoid a collision. But not long after, they came back and instructed him to turn left. Still, even with conflicting instructions, the pilot managed to avoid a collision with the huge bomber.
“Long story short, it was not fun,” he concluded. “But I do apologize for it and thank you for understanding. Not a fun day at work.” Still, even with the abrupt maneuver, the crowd responded with applause at the pilot’s quick actions.
If that wasn’t enough, CBS News reports that the very same B-52H was involved in another near-miss moments later. The second incident involved a much smaller airplane, a Piper. The two aircraft came within one-third of a mile of each other, too close for comfort in aviation.
Troublingly, this is just one of the latest instances of a near-miss between civilian and military aircraft. In January of this year, a mid-air collision between a commercial airliner and a US Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter killed 67 people.
