Black Hawk chopper crossed path of United flight in California, FAA says
United Airlines said the pilots saw the helicopter, received a traffic alert and leveled the aircraft.
Updated on: March 26, 2026 / 8:46 PM EDT / CBS LA
A California Air National Guard Black Hawk helicopter crossed the path of a United Airlines flight headed towards John Wayne Airport in Orange County on Tuesday evening.
The Federal Aviation Administration said United Airlines Flight 589 was approaching the airport around 8:40 p.m. when a Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter "crossed in front" of the flight's path.
In a separate statement, the California Air National Guard said the helicopter, based out of Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, was conducting a "routine training mission" when the incident occurred.
"At the time, the aircraft was returning to Los Alamitos airfield along an established Visual Flight Rules (VFR) route at an assigned altitude while in communication with air traffic control," the California Air National Guard said. "Both aircraft landed safely. A thorough review will be conducted in coordination with the appropriate agencies."