The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating a near collision between a military helicopter and United Airlines aircraft at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California. According to Fox News, a Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter crossed in front of the flight path of United Airlines flight 589 while on its final approach. Air traffic control advised the pilots to “watch for a military helicopter flying near the airport,” a United Airlines spokesperson told Fox News. “They saw the helicopter and also received a traffic alert, which they responded to by leveling the aircraft,” the spokesperson said. “The United flight then landed safely,” they added. World News Tonight provided video coverage: An urgent investigation is underway after a military Black Hawk helicopter crossed in front of a packed passenger flight as it attempted to land in California. The pilots took evasive action to avoid a possible midair crash. @TrevorLAult reports. https://t.co/951zGOKD6E pic.twitter.com/gMaOsMbQHw — World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) March 26, 2026 Fox News explained further: “Leveling” an aircraft refers to slowing or stopping descent and holding a constant altitude to increase vertical separation. The airline confirmed 162 passengers and six crew members were on board the plane and did not report any injuries. Air traffic control audio obtained by the New York Post indicated the United flight got close enough to the Black Hawk to set off an anti-collision warning, or “resolution advisory,” from its traffic avoidance system. The alert suggests a potential crash was only seconds away. At their closest point, the aircraft were separated by just 525 feet vertically and 1,422 feet laterally, according to preliminary radar data from Flightradar24. Near-Miss Over Orange County: United 737 Dodges Army Black Hawk on Final Approach Santa Ana, Calif. — A United Airlines flight carrying 168 people came perilously close to a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter Tuesday evening as it approached John Wayne Airport (SNA), triggering an… pic.twitter.com/1STdazNfrs — SLCScanner (@SLCScanner) March 27, 2026 ABC News has more: The incident occurred around 8:40 p.m. local time Tuesday, according to the FAA. The Boeing 737 with 168 people on board was traveling from San Francisco to Santa Ana at the time. An Army National Guard helicopter that was conducting a “routine training mission” was involved in the incident, the California National Guard confirmed Thursday. At the time, the helicopter was returning to the airfield at Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, “along an established Visual Flight Rules route at an assigned altitude while in communication with air traffic control,” and also landed safely, the California National Guard said in a statement. “A thorough review will be conducted in coordination with the appropriate agencies,” the statement added. The FAA said it is investigating, “including whether a new measure to suspend the use of visual separation between airplanes and helicopters was applied.” The National Transportation Safety Board said it is aware of the incident but did not have any additional details to share at this time.