Commercial Plane And U.S. Military Aircraft Avoid “Midair Collision” Near Venezuela

A New York-bound JetBlue flight narrowly avoided a “midair collision” with a U.S. Air Force aircraft, according to air traffic control audio.

“We almost had a midair collision up here,” the JetBlue pilot said, according to the New York Post.

The commercial flight departed from Curacao, which is near the Venezuelan coast.

“They passed directly in our flight path,” the pilot continued, adding “they don’t have their transponder turned on, it’s outrageous.”

“We are aware of the recent reporting regarding U.S. military aircraft operations in the Caribbean and are currently reviewing the matter. Military aircrews are highly trained professionals who operate in accordance with established procedures and applicable airspace requirements. Safety remains a top priority, and we are working through the appropriate channels to assess the facts surrounding the situation,” U.S. Southern Command said in a statement, according to Breaking Aviation News & Videos.

“We have reported this incident to federal authorities and will participate in any investigation,” a JetBlue spokesman said.

“Our crewmembers are trained on proper procedures for various flight situations, and we appreciate our crew for promptly reporting this situation to our leadership team,” he added.

Watch the video here:

Backup here if needed:

JetBlue Flight 1112 from Curaçao to JFK almost collided with a U.S. Air Force refueling tanker on Friday, with the pilot heard saying to ATC “We almost had a midair collision up here, they passed directly in our flight path. … They don’t have their transponder turned on, it’s… pic.twitter.com/DRi012MnhY

— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) December 15, 2025

More from the New York Post:

The pilot continued: “We just had traffic pass directly in front of us within 5 miles of us — maybe 2 or 3 miles — but it was an air-to air-refueler from the United States Air Force and he was at our altitude. We had to stop our climb.”

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“It has been outrageous with the unidentified aircraft within our air,” a controller responded to the JetBlue aircraft.

The incident took place after the US military has launched nearly two dozen strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific that have killed more than 80 people, part of a pressure campaign to oust authoritarian Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The incident follows the Federal Aviation Administration warning U.S. aircraft to “exercise caution” when in Venezuelan airspace due to heightened military activity in the area.

A JetBlue Airways pilot said he narrowly avoided a “midair collision” with a U.S. military aircraft that entered his flight path while the JetBlue plane was climbing after takeoff from Curaçao on Friday, according to the airline and ATC recordings. https://t.co/hdfq9pDQZh pic.twitter.com/dcGjeSv5Rr

— ABC News (@ABC) December 15, 2025

NBC News shared further:

According to a U.S. official familiar with the incident, the tanker was within approved range of the JetBlue flight, and it’s not uncommon for military aircraft to fly with their transponders off.

Sometimes aircraft do not communicate with each other while operating in the same airspace because not one agency is primary over the airspace, meaning military and commercial flights can happen concurrently. Both the military and the Federal Aviation Administration could be following rules correctly and still have an incident like this occur.

The incident is still being reviewed, according to an official familiar with the incident.

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