Close between airline jet and Air Force B-52 near North Dakota airport

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WhatInThe

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A close call between a Delta/Skywest flight to Minot airport in North Dakota an Air Force B-52 bomber. Apparently the pilots not advised of other aircraft. Minot airport a class D airport with no radar.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/delta-regional-pilot-takes-evasive-action-avoid-52/story?id=123908431

I get civilian plane and an airport with no radar but a sophisticated but old bomber doesn't get more attention from the ground or it's own defensive radar/systems?

Incident being investigated.
 

The report says that Minot Class D does not have radar. The Skywest pilot was quoted saying they don't have radar. With my limited flight experience flying into small airports, I did experience control towers warning of nearby aircraft not necessarily on collision courses, but just to be on the lookout, and pilots reporting back when they did gain visual sighting of other aircraft. It struck me as something like courtesy information.

I remember our Cessna taking off and doing the best it could to gain altitude. Right behind us, a twin engine something or other took off. And of course everyone knew each other was operating in the air. The tower warned the twin engine to be on the lookout for the smaller Cessna, but we couldn't see the twin, because he was behind us.

A minute later (or less) the twin reported, "We have the Cessna in sight." It was kind of embarrassing in a funny way, when the other pilot had to add, "He's about two thousand feet below us and we are way past him right now.":)
 
The lack of local radar is an issue but one would figure air traffic controllers both civilian and military in the next closest tower would've picked it up.
 
One of the problems concerning military planes is if the plane or planes are on a maneuver or possible low level classified flight, it’s possible and more likely probable that the pilot has turned off the transponder, which sends a signal to traffic controllers, so they can be seen on radar.
 
Been There said:
One of the problems concerning military planes is if the plane or planes are on a maneuver or possible low level classified flight, it’s possible and more likely probable that the pilot has turned off the transponder, which sends a signal to traffic controllers, so they can be seen on radar.
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I think I did see on a news report that the military plane's transponder wasn't on. IMO seems like a dangerous practice to leave them off.
 
oldman said:
Yes, I agree, but I "guess" it depends on what their objective is. Allowing the air traffic controller to see all traffic in the sky would keep us all safer.
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I'm just guessing here, but radar being what it is would detect anything in the sky whether the transponder is on or not. I think the transponder only identifies what the radar blip is. To me that would fall upon air traffic control to keep other aircraft in the area apprised of a danger.

But this is only armchair conjecture from a guy who knows nothing about air traffic control.
 
JustDave said:
I'm just guessing here, but radar being what it is would detect anything in the sky whether the transponder is on or not. I think the transponder only identifies what the radar blip is. To me that would fall upon air traffic control to keep other aircraft in the area apprised of a danger.

But this is only armchair conjecture from a guy who knows nothing about air traffic control.
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That’s correct. The transponder does ID the aircraft, however, with so much other junk being flown, including some high end drones, it would be best if commercial jets would know what the “blip” is. I will resist talking about stealth aircraft.
 
Been There said:
That’s correct. The transponder does ID the aircraft, however, with so much other junk being flown, including some high end drones, it would be best if commercial jets would know what the “blip” is. I will resist talking about stealth aircraft.
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While we are on it, what makes an aircraft stealth? Is it in the odd shape, or the paint, or something electronic? Or is this stuff still classified?
Edit: I looked it up. Don't know why I didn't do that first:

what makes a stealth aircraft undetectable by radar? at DuckDuckGo
 
JustDave said:
While we are on it, what makes an aircraft stealth? Is it in the odd shape, or the paint, or something electronic? Or is this stuff still classified?
Edit: I looked it up. Don't know why I didn't do that first:

what makes a stealth aircraft undetectable by radar? at DuckDuckGo
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I couldn’t open the link.

It’s not “all” secretive. Engineering plays a huge part in designing of the plane, along with using materials like carbon fiber composites that are radar absorbent, or RAMS. Other countries also have stealth planes after copying the U.S.’s design and materials used. If you would carry the necessary clearance and wander through a Lockheed Martin facility that manufactures some of the stealth planes, you would be amazed by the technology used and the rigorous testing each plane goes through after completion before being turned over to the military.

The guidance system on these planes are a remarkable work of science and excellence. The ‘electro-optical guidance system’ is used on stealth planes like the F-35, but also on other non-stealth planes. If you want to know more, you may want to look it up. There’s too much to print, but a lot of good stuff to read.


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