JetBlue Flight From Curaçao Halts Climb After Close Encounter With US Air Force Tanker

A JetBlue flight departing Curaçao interrupted its climb Friday after the crew reported a near miss with a United States Air Force aerial refueller that the pilot said crossed directly into the jet’s flight path.

“We almost had a midair collision up here,” the JetBlue pilot said in a recording of his exchange with air traffic control. “They passed directly in our flight path… They don’t have their transponder turned on. It’s outrageous.”

According to the pilot, the tanker passed within roughly 2–5 miles (3–8 km) of the JetBlue aircraft while at the same altitude, forcing the crew to stop their climb. The pilot also said the tanker subsequently entered Venezuelan airspace.

JetBlue reported the incident to federal authorities and said it will cooperate with 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,” spokesman Derek Dombrowski said.

The Pentagon referred questions to the Air Force, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the air-traffic recording, a controller told the JetBlue pilot: “It has been outrageous with the unidentified aircraft within our air.”

The incident comes as the US military has stepped up drug-interdiction flights in the Caribbean and sought to increase pressure on the Venezuelan government. The US Federal Aviation Administration last month warned aircraft to “exercise caution” in or near Venezuelan airspace because of heightened military activity and a worsening security situation.

Authorities have not released further details about the tanker’s transponder status or whether an investigation has determined the cause of the close encounter. Federal agencies typically review such incidents when commercial aircraft report potential safety risks involving military planes.