Florida, December 20 - A second near midair collision involving a US Air Force refueling tanker has heightened concerns over aviation safety in the Caribbean region near Venezuela. On Saturday afternoon, pilots of a Falcon 900EX private business jet en route from Aruba to Miami reported a dangerously close encounter with the military aircraft at approximately 26,000 feet. The incident occurred in airspace controlled by Curaçao, roughly 40 miles north of Venezuela's coast, where the private jet was climbing and nearly intersected the tanker's path. Radio transmissions captured the pilots alerting air traffic controllers, describing the tanker as "really close" and noting they were ascending directly toward it.
This marked the second such near midair collision in as many days, following a similar event on Friday involving JetBlue Flight 1112 departing Curaçao for New York. In that case, the commercial airliner's crew abruptly halted their climb after a US Air Force tanker crossed their flight path. Both incidents underscore potential risks from heightened US military aircraft operations in the area, with reports indicating the tankers involved may have been operating without active transponders in some instances.
United States Southern Command has acknowledged the reports and stated it is reviewing the matters. The National Transportation Safety Board and Dutch Safety Board are also gathering information on the events. These near collisions come amid broader aviation alerts, as the Federal Aviation Administration recently reiterated warnings to operators about exercising caution due to increased military activity around Venezuela.
The consecutive close calls highlight ongoing challenges in coordinating civilian and military flights in busy international airspace near Venezuela, prompting calls for enhanced safety protocols to prevent future US Air Force near midair collisions and ensure secure operations for commercial and private aircraft in the region.
