Air traffic controller calls pilot “insane” after apparent close call at Florida airport

A JetBlue pilot landing at Fort Lauderdale’s airport reported a close call on Monday night, telling air traffic control that a second, smaller plane was flying erratically in the same area.  

The incident occurred around 6:15 p.m. on Monday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. In air traffic control audio obtained by LiveATC.net, the tower can be heard giving instructions to the pilot of JetBlue flight 1256 as the plane nears Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. 

Then, the JetBlue pilot can be heard saying that the second plane is “turning towards us.” The two planes seem to have been just a few hundred feet apart in altitude at the time, according to the audio, and separated by about a mile. 

A few moments later, the air traffic controller called the small plane pilot “Mad Max,” referring to the iconic action move franchise.  

“That guy’s insane,” the controller added, according to the audio. 

The air traffic controller continued to provide landing information to the JetBlue pilot. The FAA said the “required separation” for safe flight between the two planes was maintained during the incident. The JetBlue flight landed safely shortly afterwards, the FAA said.  

The air traffic controller also alerted another JetBlue pilot to the small plane, saying the pilot had “been trying to climb at aircraft.” That flight also landed safely, according to the airport. 

The pilot of the second plane was not communicating with air traffic control, according to the FAA. It’s not clear where the aircraft took off from or why it was flying in such a manner. The FAA said it is investigating the incident. CBS News has reached out to JetBlue for comment.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, located in Broward County, Florida, is ranked as the country’s 18th-busiest airport, according to its website. A second Broward County airport, North Perry Airport, is home to dozens of small planes and private aircraft. 

Multiple aviation close calls have been reported in recent weeks. On April 29, a United Airlines flight reported a possible drone strike as it landed at San Diego International Airport. A few days earlier, on April 20, two Southwest Airlines flights near Nashville International Airport nearly collided after an aborted landing brought one aircraft into the direct path of a departing jet. The planes were separated by around 500 feet of altitude, according to preliminary flight data. The FAA is also investigating an April 9 incident where a Frontier Airlines plane nearly collided with two trucks on a taxiway at the Los Angeles International Airport.