A JetBlue flight bound for New York had to pause its climb to avoid a potential collision with a US Air Force refueling tanker near Venezuela on Friday. The pilot of JetBlue Flight 1112, flying from Curacao to JFK Airport, expressed outrage at the situation, stating that the tanker passed directly in their flight path without its transponder turned on.
According to a recording of the conversation released on Sunday, the JetBlue pilot reported, “We almost had a midair collision up here. They passed directly in our flight path. … They don’t have their transponder turned on, it’s outrageous.”
The pilot further explained, “We just had traffic pass directly in front of us within 5 miles of us — maybe 2 or 3 miles — but it was an air-to-air refueler from the United States Air Force and he was at our altitude. We had to stop our climb.”
“It has been outrageous with the unidentified aircraft within our air,” responded a controller to the JetBlue aircraft.
The incident occurred amidst US military strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific to pressure the Venezuelan government.
JetBlue’s spokesman, Derek Dombrowski, stated, “We have reported this incident to federal authorities and will participate in any investigation. Our crewmembers are trained on proper procedures for various flight situations, and we appreciate our crew for promptly reporting this situation to our leadership team.”
The Federal Aviation Administration had warned US aircraft to exercise caution in Venezuelan airspace due to security concerns.
The Pentagon referred inquiries to the Air Force, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Curacao, located near Venezuela, is a Caribbean island under Dutch control.
With Post wires
