Spirit Airlines flight 1300 from Fort Lauderdale to Boston was traveling through New York airspace and beginning descent on Tuesday when it encounterd Air Force One about 8 miles off and became non-responsive to air traffic control, as first reported by aviation watchdog JonNYC.
The encounter came while the President and First Lady were enroute to London’s Stansted airport. The Spirit pilot of the Airbus A321 is told – emphatically – “Pay attention, get off the iPad” and “I’m sure you can see who it is” – turn right 20 degrees immediately.
Spirit 1300 turn 20 degrees right vector traffic in descent.
Pay attention Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right.
Spirit 1300 turn 20 degress right now. Spirit wings turn 20 degrrees right now.
Spirit Wings turn 20 degrees right IMMEDIATELY.
20 degrees right Spirit Wings 1300 pay attention.
Spirit 1300 traffic’s off your left wing by six mi.. er 8 miles, 747 I’m sure you can see who it is, it’s flight level three two zero maintain three three zero…keep an eye out for ’em white and blue.
Spirit thirteen hundred Boston Center one three four point zero. I gotta talk to you twice every time.
Spirit Thirteen Hundred Boston one three four point zero. PAY ATTENTION GET OFF THE IPAD.
NK1300 and AF1 had a bit of an "encounter" today– ATC was reportedly yelling at NK1300 to get their attention to get them to alter course. Not sure it was a "close call" at all, but since AF1 involved.. I tend to believe the yelling part.
Thanks to @petchmo.bsky.social for his help in..
— JonNYC (@xjonnyc.bsky.social) September 16, 2025 at 6:26 PM
"TCAS would have intervened before anything happened… it's just crazy that this stuff can happen to AF1 too.."
"Controller was REALLY trying to get everyone's attention!"
— JonNYC (@xjonnyc.bsky.social) September 16, 2025 at 6:33 PM
"They were given turn 20 degrees right immediately. I think they were asked if they saw 'a blue and white 747 out the window'"
— JonNYC (@xjonnyc.bsky.social) September 16, 2025 at 6:31 PM
AIR FORCE ONE and Spirit Airlines flt NK1300 got too close over Long Island, New York for Air Traffic Control and get’s yelled at including getting told “GET OFF THE IPAD”!
Tip via @xJonNYC
Audio via @liveatc & Tracking via @ADSBex pic.twitter.com/sLJ0rip8sG— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) September 17, 2025
The aircraft were not in danger of colliding, but the Spirit jet was at similar flight level and the pilot was inattentive. I’m surprised he wasn’t given a number to call. I’m going to start using ‘pay attention get off the iPad’. The Spirit flight eventually landed safely in Boston.
Why is this bankrupt airline still flying? Grrr.
@Raphael — Oh, so now bankruptcy is bad, eh? Show some respect… to our 6-time bankrupted-his-own-businesses President who almost was in a midair with a two-time bankrupt airline (that is still restructuring and could exit soon.) Show. Some. Respect. Sir.
The world will be a better place when spirits only presence in the world is as an article of Wikipedia.