US Government & Domestic — 2026-03-26
FAA Investigates Black Hawk Helicopter Near Miss With United 737 at John Wayne Airport
The FAA opened an investigation into a close call between a United Airlines Boeing 737-800 with 168 people aboard and a California Air National Guard Black Hawk helicopter near John Wayne Airport in Orange County. The aircraft came within 525 feet vertically and 1,422 feet laterally on Tuesday evening. Pilots received a TCAS alert and leveled the aircraft. The FAA is investigating whether its post-Reagan National crash policy barring visual separation for helicopters near major airports was properly applied. The incident echoes the January 2025 Black Hawk-American Airlines collision at DCA that killed 67.
Analysis
525 feet vertical separation between a commercial 737 and a military Black Hawk is a near-collision by any standard. This is the second Black Hawk-commercial aircraft incident in 14 months (after the fatal DCA crash in January 2025). The FAA's post-Reagan National visual separation ban was specifically designed to prevent this; the investigation will determine whether it was properly implemented or ignored.
525 feet vertical separation between a commercial 737 and a military Black Hawk is a near-collision by any standard. This is the second Black Hawk-commercial aircraft incident in 14 months (after the fatal DCA crash in January 2025). The FAA's post-Reagan National visual separation ban was specifically designed to prevent this; the investigation will determine whether it was properly implemented or ignored.