The plane was carrying 162 passengers and six crew members, and no one was injured.
United Airlines said in a statement that the pilots were alerted by air traffic controllers about the presence of the military aircraft in the region, and during the maneuvers they managed to spot the helicopter.
The FAA has now opened an investigation into the case to assess whether there was any violation of a recent rule that prohibits pilots from maintaining, in areas close to airports, a distance to another aircraft based solely on vision. In other words, without the help of navigation instruments.
This incident comes just over a year after (in January 2025) an American Eagle plane collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport in Washington, killing 67 people.
It should also be noted that, on Sunday, another Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire department vehicle on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, in New York, killing the aircraft’s pilot and co-pilot, in addition to injuring 41 people.
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