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New York: A JetBlue Airways flight pilot audio has surfaced telling the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) how he averted a mid-air collision with a US military
aircraft that came to his path. According to the ABC, the pilot told the ATC that he narrowly escaped a “mid-air collision” while gaining elevation after take off Curacao, a Dutch Caribbean island near Venezuela. The JetBlue flight 1112 was heading towards New York City’s JFK Airport when it had nearly avoided the mid-air crash. According to the conversation recorded between the pilot and ATC, the former is heard telling the flight traffic controller that he had to restrict the flight from gaining elevation when a US Air Force refueller entered their path at the same altitude.
According to ABC, the pilot told the ATC that the US Air Force plane entered the same path and was at a distance of just 5 miles from their JetBlue flight.
According to the Captain, the military aircraft was heading towards the Venzuelan airspace and had its transponder off because of which the ATC was not able to track it.
“We just had traffic pass within 5 miles of us, refueller from US Air Force, they passed directly in our flight path… we almost had a midair collision,” audio reveals what the Pilot told ATC.
JetBlue airlines said that their pilots are trained to follow proper procedure for various flight situation adding the matter has been reported to the federal authorities and that they will participate in any investigation.
