A JetBlue flight from Curaçao to New York City's JFK airport was forced to halt its ascent on Friday, narrowly averting a mid-air collision with a US Air Force refuelling tanker.
The pilot of Flight 1112, travelling from the Caribbean nation, blamed the military aircraft for crossing its path. In a recording with air traffic control, the pilot stated: "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 incident occurs amid intensified US military drug interdiction efforts in the Caribbean, coupled with increased pressure on Venezuela's government.
“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,” the pilot said. “We had to stop our climb.” The pilot said the Air Force plane then headed into Venezuelan air space.
Derek Dombrowski, a spokesman for JetBlue, said Sunday: “We have reported this incident to federal authorities and will participate in any investigation." He added, “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 Pentagon referred The Associated Press to the Air Force for comment. The Air Force didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
