An air traffic controller had to scold a Spirit Airlines pilot Tuesday into paying attention and moving farther away from Air Force One.
An air traffic controller noted Flight 1300’s proximity to President Trump’s flight across the Atlantic to Britain and warned the Spirit pilot, who was en route to Boston from Fort Lauderdale, to turn away.
The air traffic controller, based out of the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center, repeatedly told the pilot to turn 20 degrees to his right, and eventually brought up Air Force One’s own proximity to the Spirit flight according to LiveATC.net audio cited by CNN.
“I got to talk to you twice every time. Pay attention, get off of the iPad,” the controller told the pilot at one point, according to CNN.
Spirit Flight 1300 and Air Force One were flying parallel about 11 miles apart when a turn put them on a collision course, according to flightradar24.com data cited by the New York Times.
The planes got as close as eight miles apart.
A Spirit Airlines spokesperson told CBS News that “safety is always our top priority. Spirit Airlines flight 1300 followed procedures and Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructions while en route to Boston and landed uneventfully” there.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that “required separation was maintained between the aircraft,” according to ABC News.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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