JetBlue pilot calls Air Force near-miss 'outrageous' after tanker crosses flight path

A JetBlue level narrowly avoided a midair collision with a U.S. Air Force pitchy adjacent Venezuela connected Friday, an incidental which the aviator described arsenic "outrageous."

JetBlue Flight 1112, an Airbus A320 en way to New York from the Caribbean federation of Curaçao, was astir 20 minutes into its formation erstwhile it encountered a U.S. Air Force tanker northbound of Curaçao.

The tanker reportedly flew straight into JetBlue's formation path, prompting the rider level to instrumentality "evasive enactment to support separation with a tanker aircraft," Aviation Safety Network said.

According to a signaling captured by LiveATC.net, the JetBlue aviator called the incidental "outrageous," noting that the subject craft did not person an operating transponder, an physics instrumentality that allows aerial postulation power to way an craft accurately. Without it, an craft cannot beryllium detected connected radar.

NEW COCKPIT AUDIO REVEALS CHAOS AS OFF-DUTY ALASKA AIRLINES PILOT TRIED TO SHUT ENGINES OFF MID-FLIGHT

A JetBlue airplane approaches Newark Liberty Airport astatine sunset connected Aug. 2, 2020. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

"They passed straight successful our formation path," the aviator said. "They don't person their transponder turned on. It's outrageous."

The aviator identified the craft arsenic a subject pitchy and said it crossed their way astir 2 to 3 miles away.

"It was an air-to-air refueler from the United States Air Force, and helium was astatine our altitude," the aviator said. "We had to halt our ascent and really descend to debar hitting them."

The aerial postulation controller confirmed successful the signaling that they besides did not spot thing connected their radar.

"Yes, I don't person thing connected my scope … you are wholly close sir," the controller said. 

CAPITOL HILL REVOLT THREATENS TRUMP’S VENEZUELA PLAYBOOK AMID CARIBBEAN STRIKE OVERSIGHT 

A U.S. Air Force Kc-135, an air-to-air refueler, takes disconnected connected a ngo connected March 26, 1999. (Usaf)

The aviator reported that the Air Force pitchy past entered Venezuelan airspace.

The incidental comes arsenic the United States has mounted a large-scale subject buildup successful the confederate Caribbean, portion President Donald Trump campaigns to oust Venezuelan person Nicolás Maduro.

U.S. Southern Command told Fox News Digital Monday that it is alert of the incidental and is reviewing the matter. 

"We are alert of the caller reporting regarding U.S. subject craft operations successful the Caribbean and are presently reviewing the matter," Col. Emanuel L. Ortiz, nationalist affairs main of U.S. Southern Command, said. "Military aircrews are highly trained professionals who run successful accordance with established procedures and applicable airspace requirements. Safety remains a apical priority, and we are moving done the due channels to measure the facts surrounding the situation."

Tensions betwixt Venezuela and the U.S. proceed to escalate arsenic Trump threatens to prehend Venezuelan lipid tankers. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via Reuters; Brian Snyder/Reuters)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP 

JetBlue told Fox News Digital Monday that the company's apical precedence is safety.

"Our unit members are trained connected due procedures for assorted formation situations, and we admit our unit for promptly reporting this concern to our enactment team," JetBlue said. "We person reported this incidental to national authorities and volition enactment successful immoderate investigation."

Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration alerted airlines of a "potentially hazardous situation" erstwhile flying adjacent Venezuela, citing rising subject enactment and deteriorating information arsenic tensions grew amid Trump’s threats of strikes connected the country.