By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Dec 15 – A JetBlue passenger jet bound for New York took evasive action on Friday to avoid a mid-air collision with a U.S. Air Force plane near Venezuela, a pilot said in an air traffic control recording.
JetBlue Flight 1112 had departed the Caribbean nation of Curaçao and was flying about 40 miles (64 km) off the coast of Venezuela when the Airbus A320 reported encountering the Air Force jet, which did not have its transponder activated, according to the recording captured by liveatc.net.
The Air Force pilot was within a few miles of the plane and at the same altitude, the JetBlue pilot said on the recording.
“They passed directly in our flight path… They don’t have their transponder turned on. It’s outrageous,” the pilot said. The Air Force jet then entered Venezuelan airspace, the JetBlue pilot said. “We almost had a mid-air collision up here.”
A JetBlue spokesperson said on Monday the company’s top priority is safety.
“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. We have reported this incident to federal authorities and will participate in any investigation.”
The incident happened as the United States has mounted a large-scale military buildup in the southern Caribbean as President Donald Trump campaigns to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, pushing relations to their most volatile point in years.
U.S. Southern Command said in a statement Monday that it is aware of the incident and reviewing the matter.
The military added its “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.”
Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration warned major airlines of a “potentially hazardous situation” when flying over Venezuela and urged them to exercise caution. Major airlines from around the world have halted flights as tensions have worsened and Trump has threatened to begin hitting land targets in Venezuela.
The FAA did not immediately comment Monday on the JetBlue incident.
(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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