Aviation authorities are urgently investigating two separate near collisions involving US Air Force refuelling tankers in the skies near Venezuela over a single weekend, raising serious safety concerns.
Panicked Transmissions Reveal Close Calls
The first incident occurred on Saturday, when the panicked radio transmissions of a private jet crew were heard as they worked frantically to avoid a midair collision with an Air Force tanker. Shortly afterwards, pilots of a Falcon 900EX business jet travelling from Aruba to Miami reported another near miss to air traffic control in Cúraçao.
According to transmissions obtained by CNN, one pilot reported the aircraft came "really close" while flying at approximately 26,000 feet. "We were climbing right into him," the pilot stated, adding "It was big, maybe a 777 or a [767]."
JetBlue Flight Forced into Evasive Action
This alarming event came just one day after a similar scare involving a commercial airliner. On Friday, JetBlue Flight 1112, en route from Cúraçao to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, was forced to abruptly halt its climb.
The pilots reported a close call with a US Air Force refuelling tanker that crossed directly into their flight path. Disturbingly, the tanker's position-reporting transponder was reportedly turned off. "We almost had a midair collision up here," the JetBlue pilot told controllers, calling the situation "outrageous."
Investigations Launched Amid Increased Military Activity
The United States Southern Command confirmed it is "aware of the recent reporting" and is reviewing the matter. Both the Pentagon and Dutch aviation officials have opened investigations.
These incidents follow a warning last month from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to US airlines about increased military activity around Venezuela. The advisory, repeated this Tuesday, stated that such activity "could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes." The warning has already led to the cancellation of many international flights departing from Venezuela.
While the National Transportation Safety Board has stated it is not investigating the incidents, the back-to-back near misses have cast a spotlight on the risks in a region of heightened military operations. The aviation community awaits the findings of the ongoing probes with keen interest.
