A JetBlue flight on approach to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) on Monday evening was forced to maneuver out of the way of another aircraft after receiving a TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) alert. According to air traffic control (ATC) recordings, the pilot of the JetBlue Airbus A321neo reported that the other aircraft — which was flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) — was “turning towards us” before receiving a TCAS advisory, swerving out of its path to avoid a collision.

While the two aircraft safely avoided one another and reportedly maintained safe minimum separation distances throughout, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation. Early reports suggest the second aircraft, likely a general aviation plane, was flying erratically, with ATC even dubbing the pilot “insane.”

JetBlue A321neo Avoids “Mad Max” After TCAS Alert

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The incident occurred at around 6:00 PM on Monday, June 1, as JetBlue Flight 1256 was on approach to Fort Lauderdale following a four-hour flight from Guayaquil (GYE). The JetBlue flight crew — which had earlier been alerted by ATC about the presence of a VFR aircraft located six nautical miles away — radioed that the aircraft started turning towards them while at a distance of just one nautical mile. The JetBlue plane then received a TCAS alert and maneuvered to avoid the plane, landing safely in Fort Lauderdale moments later.

ATC recordings from LiveATC.net revealed that the air traffic controller declared, “That guy’s insane,” before calling them “Mad Max” and warning a separate flight that “there’s a VFR out there that’s been trying to climb at aircraft.” The identity of the second aircraft has not yet been publicly disclosed, but a smaller general aviation aircraft is the most likely candidate. Simple Flying has contacted JetBlue and the FAA for comment on this incident, but representatives could not be reached before publication.

FAA Launches Investigation

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A report by the Sun Sentinel has confirmed that the FAA is investigating the close call, which is the latest in a spate of concerning near-miss incidents in US aviation. The agency added that the “required separation was maintained” between both aircraft, but is nonetheless looking into the incident.

Flight tracking data reveals the moment the JetBlue A321neo deviated from its course while on approach, which occurred at an altitude of 5,000 feet. The flight landed safely at FLL less than ten minutes later, with no reported injuries among the passengers or crew. The FAA has not confirmed any further details on the second aircraft, nor whether any airspace violations occurred in this incident.

The airspace around FLL — which is Florida’s third-busiest airport and a focus city for JetBlue — is not only busy with commercial operations, but is also highly popular with general aviation flying. Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE) is situated just a few miles north, while there are over 100 public-use general aviation airports in South Florida alone.

Are Near-Misses Becoming More Common?

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Monday evening’s incident is the latest in a line of concerning close calls in US aviation. There are different types of near-misses, including those that happen midair or on the ground. The majority of instances occur on the ground at airports due to runway incursions, when an aircraft, ground vehicle, or person enters an active runway without authorization.

JetBlue’s recent close call took place in the air, where the risk of catastrophe is higher. The FAA maintains categories of severity, the worst being a Category A incident, defined as a situation where a collision was narrowly avoided. The agency states there are an average of five runway incursions every single day in the US, although the majority are not in the serious category.

FAA data has found that, while runway incursions decreased in 2024 compared to preceding years, there has been a general rise in incidents since the pre-pandemic era. Simple Flying has reported on several near-miss incidents in the past few months, including an American Airlines and an Air Canada regional jet coming within 350 feet of one another near New York JFK Airport (JFK) in April, and another JetBlue close call from December 2025 involving a US military tanker flying with its transponder switched off.