According to flight tracking data, about 20 minutes after take off, the JetBlue aircraft suddenly leveled off midclimb. (Photo: X/ @JetBlue)
A JetBlue flight from the Caribbean nation of Curaçao halted its ascent in order to avoid a collision with a US Air Force refueling tanker on Friday, and the commercial aircraft’s pilot accused the military plane for crossing its path on Friday, Associated Press reported.
According to the recording of the JetBlue pilot’s conversation with the air traffic control, the pilot said, “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 involved JetBlue Flight 1112 which was enroute to New York City’s JFK airport from Curaçao, which is just off the coast of Venezuela. The development comes as the US military has upped its ante against drug smugglers in the Caribbean and is seeking to increase its pressure on the Venezuelan government.
JetBlue Flight 1112, an Airbus A320 which had departed from Curaçao bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, nearly collided Friday with a U.S. Air Force KC-135R Aerial-Refueling Tanker that did not have its transponder on at 34,000ft over the Southern… pic.twitter.com/f5Jt8JUFlm
The pilot of JetBlue plane further said, “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. We had to stop our climb.”
According to flight tracking data, about 20 minutes after take off, the JetBlue aircraft suddenly leveled off midclimb. However, it is not clear if the pilot saw the US military’s aircraft with his own eyes or if he was alerted by any sensor on the aircraft. The pilot told the ATC that the tanker was about two to three miles away, or less than 20 seconds of flying time at its speed.
“We have reported this incident to federal authorities and will participate in any investigation,” Derek Dombrowski, a spokesperson for JetBlue, said on Sunday. “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,” he added.
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According to flight tracking data, about 20 minutes after take off, the JetBlue aircraft suddenly leveled off midclimb. (Photo: X/ @JetBlue) 
