The near miss of a U.S. Army National Guard helicopter and a United Airlines Boeing 737 flight is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The helicopter passed in front of the United Airlines flight, which was landing in Santa Ana’s John Wayne Airport (SNA) in California.
Preparing to land
On March 24, the collision avoidance alarm in the United Airlines passenger aircraft went off as the aircraft prepared to land. This warning sounded as the National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk flew close to the passenger plane, 525 feet apart vertically, according to FlightRadar24. The pilots of the United aircraft levelled off when the alarm went off and managed to land safely after the helicopter had moved.
The United Airlines flight was informed to “watch out” for the National Guard helicopter in its landing approach, according to the airline. An air traffic controller, according to an audio recording from LiveATC.net, described the situation as needing to be addressed.
California’s National Guard have released a statement describing the helicopter as being on a routine training mission. They also stated that a review will be conducted in the aftermath of this incident.
Not the first time
67 people died in an American Airlines regional passenger plane and Black Hawk helicopter collision in 2025, during the plane’s landing approach at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
An investigation concluded that the FAA had allowed helicopters’ routes close to the runway. It also found that systemic failures were part of the cause of the collision.
In early March 2026, the FAA released a new tracking order that requires air traffic controllers to watch helicopters when flying and landing in airports that are busy.
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