- JetBlue flight almost collided with Air Force tanker when departing out of Curaçao.
- Increased U.S. military presence has crowded the Caribbean skies, causing safety concerns.
- New legislation proposed for military planes to broadcast location in non-combat situations.
A JetBlue flight in the Caribbean had to stop its ascent Friday to avoid colliding with a U.S. Air Force refueling tanker, according to reports. The pilot blamed the tanker for crossing his path.
“We almost had a midair collision up here,” the JetBlue pilot said in his conversation with an air traffic controller, per CNN. “They passed directly in our flight path. … They don’t have their transponder turned on, it’s outrageous.”
JetBlue Flight 1112 was involved in the incident, flying from Curaçao just off the coast of Venezuela en route to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The incident comes as the U.S. military has increased its presence in the Caribbean as part of its anti-drug trafficking campaign.
This is not the first time this year the issue of communication between civilian and military aircraft has drawn attention.
“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, per CNN. “We had to stop our climb.”
According to The New York Times, two or three miles is equal to less than 20 seconds of flying time at the plane’s speed. It is unclear whether the pilot saw the military plane with his own eyes or was alerted by a sensor on his aircraft.
The incident took place about 20 minutes after the JetBlue plane took off, forcing it to level off mid-climb.
Flight tracking data shows that the flight resumed its climb after a few minutes and landed in New York City without any other issues, per The New York Times.
What the airline and the military said about the incident
JetBlue confirmed that it reported the incident to the government, adding that it would also participate in any investigation, per USA Today.
The airline released a statement: “Safety is our top priority. 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.”
Col. Emanuel L. Ortiz, public affairs chief at U.S. Southern Command, gave a statement saying, “We are aware of the recent reporting regarding U.S. military aircraft operations in the Caribbean and are currently reviewing the matter,” according to USA Today.
The statement continued: “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 Air Force said it was investigating the incident.
Increased military presence around Venezuela has led to crowded airspace
The air traffic controller that the JetBlue pilot was talking to said he couldn’t see the tanker on his radar screen either. He added that the unknown military aircraft was part of a trend.
“They’ve been outrageous with the unidentified aircraft within our airspace,” the controller said to the pilot, per The New York Times.
On Saturday, one day after the incident, air traffic controllers in Curaçao told at least three pilots with different airlines to be aware of unidentified aircraft in their vicinity, according to The New York Times.
In recent weeks, as the U.S. military has been sending more aircraft and equipment to the Caribbean, the skies over the region have become increasingly crowded.
Since early September, the U.S. military has conducted multiple fatal airstrikes on boats it says are carrying narcotics.
According to CNN, last month the FAA issued a warning urging U.S. aircraft to “exercise caution” in Venezuelan airspace because of the “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela.”
Communication between civilian and military aircraft has been a major issue in aviation safety since the beginning of the year.
In January, a fatal midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter was partially blamed on the helicopter flying without broadcasting its location to surrounding aircraft.
According to USA Today, civilian aircraft are required to broadcast their location, especially when in crowded airspace, using a method known as ADS-B out. Previously, military aircraft were exempt from the same requirement, but after January’s crash a bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation to require military planes to broadcast their location during noncombat missions.