FAA Investigates Fort Lauderdale Airspace Close Call Between Airliner's A321 and Flight School Beechcraft 76 Duchess

Florida, USA – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating a reported close call between a JetBlue Airbus A321 and a Beechcraft 76 Duchess in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida airspace, in an incident that prompted a collision avoidance alert on the commercial flight.

• JetBlue Flight 1256, arriving from Guayaquil, Ecuador, was preparing to land at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport when air traffic controllers alerted the crew that a Beechcraft 76 Duchess was operating in the area without contact with the control tower.
• The JetBlue crew reported receiving a collision avoidance alert as the Beechcraft appeared to turn toward the commercial aircraft, prompting the crew to climb to increase separation.
• The two aircraft passed within approximately one mile of each other horizontally; the FAA confirmed required separation was maintained and the JetBlue flight landed safely.
• The Beechcraft 76 Duchess is owned by a flight school in the Fort Lauderdale area; in a statement, the school said the pilot of the small aircraft did not do anything wrong.
• The FAA has opened an investigation into the incident.

Source: FAA and Media Reporting