A refueling plane that reportedly had its transponder switched off came dangerously close to a JetBlue passenger jet
According to reports from the Associated Press and the New York Times, which cited radio communications and flight tracking data, a passenger plane came close to a mid-air collision with a US military aircraft near the Venezuelan coast on Friday.
This event took place during a period of US naval expansion in the Caribbean and following threats from President Donald Trump to hit “narcoterrorists” inside Venezuela.
JetBlue Flight 1112 is said to have come across a US Air Force refueling tanker while on its route from Curaçao, a small island near Venezuela, to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The passenger jet abruptly descended while it was still climbing, just twenty minutes after departure. “We almost had a midair collision up here,” the JetBlue pilot stated. “They passed directly in our flight path … They don’t have their transponder turned on; it’s outrageous.”
On Sunday, JetBlue spokesperson Derek Dombrowski confirmed the airline had notified the authorities about the incident. “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 said.
Colonel Manny Ortiz, a spokesman for US Southern Command, stated they were “aware of the recent reporting regarding US military aircraft operations in the Caribbean and are currently reviewing the matter.” He further noted that safety was a primary concern and that the military was “working through the appropriate channels to assess the facts surrounding the situation.”
The US has conducted strikes on suspected cartel boats since September, resulting in more than 80 deaths. President Trump asserted these boats were used by Venezuela to “flood” the US with drugs. Venezuela has refuted any role in drug trafficking, characterizing the strikes as a “colonialist” strategy to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro and exploit the nation’s resources.