Near miss reported between U.S. military aircraft and JetBlue flight in Caribbean airspace

A JetBlue passenger aircraft narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with a US military refuelling plane near the coast of Venezuela, according to reports from the Associated Press and the New York Times citing flight tracking data and radio communications.

The incident occurred on Friday as JetBlue Flight 1112 was travelling from Curaçao to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, roughly 20 minutes after takeoff. During its climb, the aircraft abruptly lost altitude, with the pilot later reporting that a US Air Force tanker had crossed directly through its flight path and appeared to be operating with its transponder switched off.

“We almost had a midair collision up here,” the JetBlue pilot was quoted as saying. “They passed directly in our flight path … They don’t have their transponder turned on; it’s outrageous.”

JetBlue confirmed the incident had been reported to authorities, saying the crew followed established safety procedures and promptly escalated the matter internally. US Southern Command acknowledged awareness of the reports and said it was reviewing the circumstances, stressing that flight safety remains a priority.

The near miss occurred amid heightened US military activity in the Caribbean and escalating tensions with Venezuela, following recent US strikes on alleged cartel-linked vessels—claims Caracas has strongly denied, accusing Washington of pursuing broader political and strategic objectives against the Maduro government.