Representative Tran, Orange County Delegation Demand Answers from FAA Following Black Hawk Near-Miss with Commercial Flight in Santa Ana
Orange County, CA — U.S. Representative Derek Tran (CA-45) joined Representative Dave Min (CA-47) and members of the Orange County Congressional Delegation in a letter raising serious concerns over a recent near-miss between a California National Guard Black Hawk helicopter and a commercial passenger aircraft approaching John Wayne Airport. The members requested a briefing from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration about the ongoing investigation.
Read the full text of the letter HERE.
On March 24, 2026, a California National Guard Black Hawk entered the flight path of a United Airlines Boeing 737 on final approach to John Wayne Airport. The commercial aircraft was forced to halt its descent and level off to avoid a collision, passing within approximately 500 feet of the helicopter.
“John Wayne Airport is one of the busiest airports in the country, serving one of the most densely populated regions in America. The surrounding communities are home to millions of residents who would be directly at risk in the event of a crash, in addition to the tens of thousands of passengers flying through this airspace every day,” wrote the members. “Every traveler and every person living beneath these flight paths deserves to feel safe, which is why the coordination of military and civilian flight operations in this region must be managed with the highest standards of safety, precision, and communication.”
Representative Tran’s district is home to Joint Forces Training Base - Los Alamitos, the base from which the Black Hawk flight originated.
The letter also requested clarification on whether recently adopted FAA procedures governing visual separation between aircraft and helicopters were in effect at the time of the incident. This measure was adopted in response to the tragic January 2025 crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people.
The members requested an in-person or virtual briefing within 60 days, including updates on the FAA’s investigation, preliminary findings, and any corrective measures under consideration.
Representative Tran was an original co-sponsor of H.R. 7613, the ALERT Act, which aims to reduce collision risk by strengthening aviation safety and transparency requirements in U.S. airspace operations. The ALERT Act passed the House by a vote of 396-10 on April 14, 2026.
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Congressman Derek Tran represents California’s 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.