Fact-check analysisVerified as of July 21, 2025Curated by FactVerify
Mostly True

DELTA PASSENGER PLANE NEARLY COLLIDED WITH A B2 BOMBER MID AIR ON FRIDAY. THE MILITARY AIRCRAFT DID NOT ANNOUNCE IT'S PRESENCE.

A Delta regional jet nearly collided mid-air with a B-52 bomber on Friday, requiring an aggressive evasive maneuver by the pilot, and passengers reported no prior warning of the military aircraft's presence.

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Source: factverify.com

At a glance

Key Evidence

Verified July 21, 2025
The reporting

What the Evidence Shows

The claim can be broken down into two main components: first, that a Delta passenger plane nearly collided with a B-52 bomber mid-air on Friday; second, that the military aircraft did not announce its presence. Multiple credible news sources confirm that on Friday, a Delta Connection flight operated by SkyWest had to perform an aggressive maneuver to avoid a mid-air collision with a B-52 bomber near Minot, North Dakota.abcnews.go.comabcnews.go.comDelta passenger details pilot's 'aggressive maneuver' to avoid B-52 collisionwsbtv.comwsbtv.comDelta pilot forced to make ‘aggressive maneuver’ to avoid mid-air collision with...viewfromthewing.comviewfromthewing.com"Nobody Warned Us!": Delta Passengers Applaud Pilot After Terrifying Near-Miss...

The pilot's evasive action was described as aggressive and necessary to maintain safe separation. Passengers aboard the flight expressed surprise and concern, noting they were not warned in advance about the proximity of the military aircraft.viewfromthewing.comviewfromthewing.com"Nobody Warned Us!": Delta Passengers Applaud Pilot After Terrifying Near-Miss...

However, official details about whether the military aircraft formally announced its presence to air traffic control or the Delta flight crew are not fully disclosed in public reports. Air traffic controllers typically coordinate such situations, but the perception of passengers and some reports suggest no direct warning was given to the passengers or possibly even the flight crew before the maneuver.

This nuance leads to a 'Mostly True' verdict rather than 'True' because while the near-collision and evasive maneuver are well documented, the claim that the military aircraft did not announce its presence cannot be fully verified or may be partially subjective based on available information. There is no evidence suggesting intentional concealment by the military aircraft; rather, this appears to be a coordination or communication issue during complex airspace operations.

Primary trail

Verified Sources5

Delta passenger details pilot's 'aggressive maneuver' to avoid B-52 collision

abcnews.go.com
Open source

"Nobody Warned Us!": Delta Passengers Applaud Pilot After Terrifying Near-Miss...

viewfromthewing.com
Open source

Delta pilot forced to make ‘aggressive maneuver’ to avoid mid-air collision with...

wsbtv.com
Open source
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