A Spirit Airlines jet nearly collided with Air Force One just as President Donald Trump made his way to the U.K. for his second state visit with the Royal Family this year.
The terrifyingly close call occurred over Long Island less than an hour after the president had departed Washington, D.C., according to an air traffic control recording circulating online. In it, a monitor can be heard screaming at the Spirit Airlines pilot to “get off the iPad” and pay attention to his flight path.
“Descent three three zero, Spirit wings 1300,” the pilot can be heard confirming as he repeats a directive from control. Seconds later, however, another order was briefly ignored.
“Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right, vectors traffic in descent,” the Boston controller states in reference to Air Force One’s flight path.
“Pay attention!” he shouts while repeating the order multiple times.
After the pilot grudgingly acknowledges the order, the controller warns him that “traffic” is “off your wing by… eight miles.”
“I’m sure you can see who it is,” the controller states. “I’ll keep an eye out for him, he’s white and blue.”
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Every directive was made twice, an order the Boston controller said he had been given to ensure the skies were clear for Trump.
“Pay attention! Get off the iPad,” he shouts.
A spokesperson for the airline later told CBS News that its pilot “followed procedures and Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructions while en route to Boston (BOS) and landed uneventfully at BOS.”
“Safety is always our top priority,” they added.
Spirit flight 1300 was traveling from Fort Lauderdale to Boston when the near-miss occurred. Data from flight radar shows that the closest both jets came to one another was about 11 miles, according to the Daily Mail.
President Trump’s security was already tight for his state visit with King Charles and the Royal Family, a pompous affair that included a red carpet and a tour of Windsor Castle. Buckingham Palace stated that it will be the largest military event for a state visit in recent history.
About 1,600 officers have been deployed across central London in preparation for any protests or rioting. Several managed to project images of Trump’s mugshot and photo with Jeffrey Epstein on a wall of the castle prior to Trump’s arrival.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to utilize the visit to reaffirm the U.K.’s “special relationship” with the U.S. Both men are beaming at the news that major tech companies have pledged a combined $42 billion investment in the U.K. over the next several years, building on similar investments that will be made stateside during Trump’s second term.
