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TZUTC: 0100
On Friday evening Dec.12th, an Airbus operated by JetBlue nearly collided with
a military tanker aircraft full of jet fuel in Curacao's airspace. According
to the JetBlue pilots, they had to swerve to avoid the American tanker during
their climb, as revealed by publicly available audio recordings of
communication between the cockpit and air traffic control.
 
The incident involved JetBlue Flight 1112, en route from Curacao to JFK
Airport in New York. The incident occurred 26 minutes after departure, in
Curacao airspace.
 
The cockpit crew of the JetBlue Airbus reported to air traffic control that a
US military tanker aircraft flew past close by and at the same flight level.
 
The pilots indicated that they had to abort their climb at 5:04 PM local time
to maintain distance. The pilots had to take action to avoid a collision.
Online radar data shows that the JetBlue flight stopped climbing at the moment
of the reported incident.
 
The director of DC-ANSP, responsible for air traffic control over Curacao,
stated that he was aware of the incident involving JetBlue Flight 1112 and
said he would report the incident to the US Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA).
 
The tanker aircraft was reportedly flying without its transponder activated.
"Outrageous," one of the pilots said in the audio recordings. Curacao Air
Traffic Control confirms that the aircraft was flying without its transponder
activated.
 
Another serious near-collision between two aircraft has occurred in the
airspace near Curacao. The incident occurred on Saturday, December 13, a
private jet and a US military tanker were involved.
 
Both commercial aircraft had taken off from Hato International Airport shortly
before.
 
In both incidents, the military aircraft was not visible on civilian radar. As
a result, air traffic control and the crews were unsure of the aircraft's
distance. During the climb, the pilots were unexpectedly confronted with the
approaching military aircraft, causing considerable alarm in the cockpit. This
is evident from audio recordings of the communication with air traffic control.
 
The incidents are occurring against the backdrop of increased US military
activity in the Caribbean. Due to rising tensions between the US and
Venezuela, US naval and air forces have a significant presence in the region,
making civilian air traffic particularly vulnerable.
 
Audio recordings from the control tower during the first incident can be heard
via the link below.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlIM2CMDuOA

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