JetBlue Plane Involved in Mid-Air Incident With U.S. Military Aircraft

A JetBlue aircraft “narrowly avoided” collision with a U.S. Air Force Jet over Venezuela, according to reports from ABC News and The Guardian.

The terrifying incident occurred on Friday, Dec. 12, as a U.S. military plane encroached on JetBlue flight 1112’s path, forcing the commercial airliner to stop its ascent to avoid a catastrophe. “We almost had a midair collision up here,” the JetBlue pilot reported to air traffic control, per audio obtained and reviewed by CNN. “They passed directly in our flight path...They don’t have their transponder turned on, it’s outrageous.”

Air Traffic Control Identified 'Outrageous' Number of 'Unidentified Aircraft'

When the incident occurred, flight 1112 had recently departed the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao for New York City’s JFK Airport. Curaçao is located close to Venezuela, where the military aircraft was reportedly headed. “We just had traffic pass directly in front of us within five miles of us—maybe two or three miles—but it was an air-to-air refueler from the United States Air Force and he was at our altitude,” the JetBlue pilot told air traffic control. “We had to stop our climb.”

“It has been outrageous with the unidentified aircraft within our air,” the air traffic controller then replied.

JetBlue Participating in Investigation

A JetBlue spokesperson told CNN that the airline “will participate in any investigation.” “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,” the spokesperson added.

The U.S. Southern Command (USSC) confirmed to ABC News that it is aware of the incident and currently "reviewing the matter.” "Military aircrews are highly trained professionals who operate in accordance with established procedures and applicable airspace requirements,” USSC confirmed. “Safety remains a top priority, and we are working through the appropriate channels to assess the facts surrounding the situation.”