When the Denver Broncos pulled off a nail-biting 22-19 win against the Kansas City Chiefs on November 16, the atmosphere at Empower Field at Mile High was heating up both on the ground and in the air. Before the matchup kicked off, a gripping situation unfolded between an air traffic controller and a pilot flying a Cessna single-engine plane, which was slowly circling above the stadium. Below it, four military F-35s were zooming toward the same destination at impressive speeds of over 400 mph, detailed a report by CBS News Colorado.
This Cessna aircraft belonged to Winged Vision, and it was tasked with capturing live aerial footage for CBS Sports coverage. According to owner Bob Mikkelson, having those aerial shots contributes to the overall ‘big event’ feel. His team frequently uses small airplanes equipped with advanced video gear for various sports events across the U.S.
Mikkelson explained that they obtain necessary waivers, allowing them to operate within temporary flight restriction (TFR) areas that usually kick in an hour before a game and lift after it ends. The FAA can issue such waivers, and according to Mikkelson, they had everything cleared for the Broncos game, reaching out to air traffic controllers ahead of time.
The plan was for the F-35s to conduct a flyover as the national anthem was wrapping up. But right before it happened, an air traffic controller alerted another pilot, mentioning, “There is traffic over the stadium … we’re not talking to him.” That ‘traffic’ was the circling Cessna.
In a response caught on the recorded tapes, the Cessna pilot pointed out, “We did try to call you,” to which the controller initially dismissed by saying he was ‘unable’ to talk. The situation got a little tenser when the controller noted, “Just because you’re at work doesn’t mean you can ignore the TFR. You need to exit to the west now because we have four F-35s coming in.” This meant that being on the job didn’t actually grant clearance.
“Hurry up and exit!” the air traffic controller reiterated as he indicated the high pace snakes from the military jets inbound. Soon after, the Winged Vision pilot left the area to prevent any clash with the fighters.
Once the flyover was completed, the Cessna returned to resume its broadcasting duties. Mikkelson reflected, “When it comes to incidents like this, I’m convinced we couldn’t have done anything differently to fix the outcome.” He recounted listening to the tapes and described the episode as quite stressful and a ‘high pressure thing’. He also praised air traffic controllers as professionals there to assist and emphasized that they usually work great with his crews.
“The controller seemed to have a lot going on; perhaps he was preoccupied with the flyover task and overlooked the paperwork,” he postulated, implying it might’ve been an honest mix-up that caused the confusion. Ultimately, due to this unexpected situation, they missed capturing shots of the heroic F-35 overflight. Mikkelson noted the FAA later acknowledged the incident shouldn’t have occurred and extended an apology.
Despite the energy and stakes, the FAA did not offer any comments to CBS Colorado regarding the situation. Mikkelson insists that moments like these, involving complexities of airspace above sporting venues, are exceedingly rare, and highlighted that Empower Field at Mile High is typically straightforward for aerial photography due to its lack of surrounding skyscrapers.
