A potentially catastrophic mid-air collision was narrowly avoided on Friday when a JetBlue commercial flight from Curaçao to New York abruptly terminated its ascent to evade a United States Air Force refueling tanker crossing its flight path. The alarming incident occurred amid heightened U.S. military operations in the Caribbean region.
The pilot of JetBlue Flight 1112, en route to New York’s JFK International Airport, reported the close encounter with the military aircraft via radio communications with air traffic control. According to recorded transmissions, the commercial jetliner came within an estimated 2-3 miles of the tanker, which the pilot claimed was operating without its transponder activated—a critical safety device that enables aircraft identification and tracking.
“We almost had a midair collision up here,” the visibly disturbed pilot communicated to controllers. “They passed directly in our flight path. They don’t have their transponder turned on—it’s outrageous.”
JetBlue spokesperson Derek Dombrowski confirmed on Sunday that the airline had reported the incident to federal authorities and pledged full cooperation with any investigation. “Our crewmembers are trained on proper procedures for various flight situations,” Dombrowski stated, “and we appreciate our crew for promptly reporting this situation to our leadership team.”
The incident occurs against the backdrop of intensified U.S. military activities in the Caribbean, including expanded drug interdiction operations and increased pressure on Venezuela’s government. Notably, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an advisory last month cautioning U.S. aircraft to “exercise caution” in Venezuelan airspace due to “worsening security situation and heightened military activity.”
Neither the Pentagon nor the Air Force provided immediate commentary when contacted by The Associated Press. Air traffic controllers acknowledged the pilot’s concerns, with one controller agreeing that “it has been outrageous with the unidentified aircraft within our air.”