FAA investigates close call between JetBlue plane and aircraft near Fort Lauderdale Airport

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a midair scare involving a JetBlue plane and another aircraft near Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Airport, the agency said Tuesday.

The incident occurred early Monday evening as JetBlue Flight 1256, originating in Ecuador, approached the airport, the FAA said.

At about 6:15 p.m. local time, the JetBlue plane received an onboard alert warning about a nearby aircraft that was “not in communications with air traffic control,” the FAA said in a statement to NBC News.

“That guy’s insane,” the air traffic controller said after the JetBlue pilot successfully navigated away from the other aircraft and avoided a potential collision, according to air traffic control audio.

The JetBlue plane landed safely in Florida’s third-busiest airport after “required separation was maintained” between the two aircraft, according to the FAA.

JetBlue did not immediately comment on the incident when contacted by NBC News on Wednesday.

The incident comes amid heightened concerns over aviation safety as the industry grapples with a yearslong chronic shortage of air traffic controllers.

While most close-call incidents involve small planes that lack robust alert systems, close calls involving commercial aircraft have gained more attention in recent years, especially after the midair collision that killed 67 people in Washington, D.C., in January 2025.