Overview
- The JetBlue 1112 crew reported breaking off its ascent after a U.S. refueling aircraft crossed their route at the same altitude near the Venezuelan coast.
- Audio of the pilot’s call to air traffic control describes the other aircraft passing directly ahead at an estimated two to five miles.
- The pilot said the military plane was not broadcasting a transponder signal, which is crucial for identification on civilian traffic systems.
- JetBlue said it has filed a report and will cooperate with any investigation, while the Pentagon directed inquiries to the Air Force, which has not commented.
- The episode comes as U.S. forces step up counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean and after the FAA urged extra caution over Venezuelan airspace last month, with recent tracking also noting carrier and fighter activity in the region.