A second near-collision involving a U.S. military aircraft and a civilian jet near Venezuelan airspace has been reported within days, raising concerns about flight safety as military activity intensifies in the Caribbean, according to air traffic recordings reviewed by CNN and renewed warnings from U.S. aviation authorities.
On Saturday, pilots of a Falcon 900EX private jet flying from Aruba to Miami reported narrowly avoiding a collision with a U.S. Air Force refueling tanker near Venezuela. Audio captured by LiveATC.net shows one pilot telling air traffic controllers in Curaçao that the aircraft were “really close” at about 26,000 feet.
“We were climbing directly toward him,” the pilot said, adding that the other aircraft appeared to be large, “maybe a 777 or a 767,” said the recording reviewed by CNN.
The incident occurred a day after a similar episode involving a JetBlue flight departing Curaçao for New York. In that case, the JetBlue pilots said they were forced to abruptly halt their climb after a U.S. Air Force tanker crossed directly in front of their flight path without an active transponder. “We almost had a midair collision up here,” one pilot from that aircraft told controllers, calling the situation “outrageous,” according to recordings cited by ABC News.
U.S. Southern Command said it is aware of “recent reports about U.S. military aircraft operations in the Caribbean” and is reviewing the matter. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it is gathering information on both incidents, while Dutch aviation authorities said they are also reviewing the events, as Curaçao is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The incidents come as the Federal Aviation Administration renewed and expanded its warning to airlines operating in or near Venezuelan airspace on Tuesday. In an advisory reissued Tuesday, the FAA urged aircraft to “exercise caution” due to “worsening security conditions and heightened military activity,” warning that threats could pose risks “at all altitudes,” including during overflight, takeoff and landing, and even to aircraft on the ground.
Several international airlines have suspended or extended cancellations of flights to Venezuela. Copa Airlines said Tuesday it would keep flights to and from Caracas suspended until Jan. 15, citing operational conditions.
Originally published on Latin Times
