Two near-collisions between U.S. military aircraft and civilian jets within days have raised fresh concerns about flight safety in airspace near Venezuela, prompting renewed warnings from U.S. aviation authorities as military operations in the Caribbean intensify. Audio recordings reviewed by CNN and ABC News detail incidents in which civilian pilots reported narrowly avoiding U.S. Air Force refueling tankers at cruising altitude.
The most recent incident occurred Saturday, when pilots of a Falcon 900EX private jet flying from Aruba to Miami told air traffic controllers in Curaçao that they came dangerously close to a U.S. military aircraft near Venezuelan airspace. According to recordings from LiveATC.net reviewed by CNN, one pilot said the aircraft were "really close" at approximately 26,000 feet.
"We were climbing directly toward him," the pilot said, adding that the other aircraft appeared to be large, "maybe a 777 or a 767," according to the recording cited by CNN.
That report followed a similar episode a day earlier involving a JetBlue flight departing Curaçao for New York. In that case, JetBlue pilots said they were forced to abruptly stop their climb after a U.S. Air Force tanker crossed directly in front of their flight path without an active transponder signal.
"We almost had a midair collision up here," one JetBlue pilot told controllers, describing the situation as "outrageous," according to air traffic recordings cited by ABC News.
U.S. Southern Command said it is aware of "recent reports about U.S. military aircraft operations in the Caribbean" and is reviewing the incidents. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it is gathering information related to both near misses, while Dutch aviation authorities are also examining the events because Curaçao falls within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The incidents come amid heightened military activity near Venezuela and renewed concern among aviation regulators. On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration reissued and expanded an advisory warning airlines operating in or near Venezuelan airspace to "exercise caution" due to "worsening security conditions and heightened military activity."
The FAA advisory warned that risks could exist "at all altitudes," including during overflight, takeoff and landing, and even while aircraft are on the ground. Aviation experts note that military aircraft operating without transponders or using nonstandard procedures can significantly increase collision risk in congested international air corridors.
Several international airlines have responded by maintaining or extending suspensions of service to Venezuela. Copa Airlines said Tuesday it would keep flights to and from Caracas suspended until Jan. 15, citing operational conditions. Other carriers have either reduced schedules or rerouted flights to avoid Venezuelan airspace altogether.
