Seconds from Disaster: Planes Almost Collide Near Venezuela
Last Saturday, a private jet narrowly avoided a U.S. Air Force fuel tanker near Venezuela, just one day after a similar close call in the region.
CNN reviewed radio recordings that revealed a Falcon 900X jet, traveling from Europe to Miami, came dangerously close to the tanker.
One of the pilots reported to air traffic control in Curaçao that afternoon about the near miss. He said the other aircraft was extremely close, flying at approximately 26,000 feet. “We climbed right at it. It was enormous, like a 777 or 767,” the pilot explained. These recordings were obtained from LiveAtk.net.
Second Near-Miss in Two Days
This incident marked the second near collision near Venezuela within 48 hours. On Friday, JetBlue Flight 1112, traveling from Curaçao to New York's JFK Airport, had to halt its climb when a U.S. military tanker crossed its path. Pilots noted that the tanker's transponders were turned off.
Both the Pentagon and Dutch authorities are now investigating these events.
U.S. Southern Command and FAA Take Action
The U.S. Southern Command has been informed of recent military plane activity in the Caribbean and is currently reviewing the situation.
Curaçao, located roughly 30 miles (64 kilometers) north of Venezuela’s coast, is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Last month, the FAA issued warnings to U.S. airlines about increasing military flights near Venezuela at all altitudes. The warning was repeated on Tuesday.
The FAA cautioned that these flights could pose risks to planes in the air, during takeoffs and landings, or even while on the ground. Following these warnings, several airlines either suspended or canceled flights to and from Venezuela.
