A JetBlue Airways pilot narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with a U.S. air force military aircraft that entered its flight path on Friday while travelling near Venezuela, according to the airline.
“We almost had a mid-air collision up here,” the JetBlue pilot said, according to a recording of his conversation with air traffic control. “They passed directly in our flight path…. They don’t have their transponder turned on. It’s outrageous.”
JetBlue Flight 1112 had departed from the Caribbean island of Curaçao, bound for New York City’s JFK airport.
“We just had traffic pass directly in front of us within five miles of us – maybe two or three miles – but it was an air-to-air refueller from the United States air force and he was at our altitude. We had to stop our climb,” the pilot said.
“It has been outrageous with the unidentified aircraft within our air. You are totally right, sir,” the controller replied.
“We had to stop our climb and actually just descend to avoid hitting them,” the pilot told the controller. “We’ll do a report on our end too but they did not have their transponders turned on so there’s no way for you to have seen them.”
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The U.S. air force plane then headed into Venezuelan airspace, the pilot said.
Derek Dombrowski, a spokesperson for JetBlue, said the company has “reported this incident to federal authorities and will participate in any investigation.”
“Our crew members are trained on proper procedures for various flight situations, and we appreciate our crew for promptly reporting this situation to our leadership team,” he added in a statement to the New York Times.
U.S. Southern Command told ABC News in a statement that it was “aware of the recent reporting regarding U.S. military aircraft operations in the Caribbean” and “currently reviewing the matter.”
“Military aircrews are highly trained professionals who operate in accordance with established procedures and applicable airspace requirements. Safety remains a top priority, and we are working through the appropriate channels to assess the facts surrounding the situation,” the agency added.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning last month to U.S. aircraft to “exercise caution” when in the Venezuelan airspace “due to the worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela.”
The FAA continues to warn pilots about hazards stemming from increased military activity, and most commercial airlines have been avoiding Venezuelan airspace for years due to security risks.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that airspace “above and surrounding Venezuela” should be considered closed. He issued the declaration on his Truth Social account, but gave no further details.
“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” Trump wrote. “Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The comment comes as the Trump administration has intensified military operations in the Caribbean as part of what it calls an expanded campaign to target the smuggling of drugs into the United States.
— With files from Global News’ Prisha Dev
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