JetBlue A320 halts climb off Curaçao to avoid mid‑air collision with USAF tanker flying without transponder

JetBlue Flight 1112 from Curaçao to New York aborted its climb on 12 December after crew reported a U.S. Air Force tanker crossing directly ahead at roughly the same altitude while not transmitting a transponder signal. Controllers could not see the tanker on radar and later estimated its altitude at about 34,000 ft.

Discovered 2025-12-14T08:38:04.511671-08:00 | 2025-12-14T08:38:04.511671-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • JetBlue Flight 1112 reported the tanker “within 5 miles — maybe 2 or 3 miles” ahead, forced the crew to halt their climb to avoid a collision, and told controllers the military aircraft was not transmitting; ATC could not detect the tanker on radar and later put it at ~34,000 ft.
  • Controllers' inability to see the tanker on radar is a core factual detail from ATC audio and radio logs, and the airline has reported the event to federal authorities.
  • Similar close calls have prompted formal probes and broader scrutiny of ATC and aircraft operations; see the NTSB's investigation into an Oct. 29 near‑miss near Cleveland and prior reporting on a JetBlue A320‑linked Airbus A320 software recall that drew regulatory attention.

Reported By

aerospaceglobalnews.com aeromorning.com ibtimes.com air-journal.fr AeroTime avweb.com
Sources Tracked
83
First Seen
2025-12-14T08:38:04.511671-08:00
Latest Update
2025-12-18T08:31:36.129045-08:00
Coverage
Aviation

Sources

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