‘Pay attention, turn immediately’: Spirit Airlines pilot scolded for flying near Air Force One

“Get off the iPad” is a scolding you might expect to hear directed at a child on a flight – not at the pilot flying the plane.

But that stern directive was issued by an air traffic controller who repeatedly warned the pilot of a Spirit Airlines flight on the morning of Sept 16, that the commercial plane was flying too close to Air Force One, which was transporting US President Donald Trump to Britain.

“Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right,” the air traffic controller can be heard telling Spirit Airlines Flight NK1300 around 10.20am EST (10.20pm Singapore time). The controller appears to repeat himself several times over the course of a few minutes, according to air traffic control audio on the site liveatc.net: “Pay attention, Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right. Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right now. Spirit Wings 1300, turn 20 degrees right immediately.”

The two planes were flying over Long Island, New York, at the time, data from tracking website Flightradar24 showed. The Spirit Airlines plane was about 17.7km away from Air Force One when the pilot began to turn the flight to deconflict its flight path from Air Force One.

According to Flightradar24 data, the closest the two planes came was 12.8km apart, laterally.

A spokesperson for the US Federal Aviation Administration wrote in an e-mail that “required separation was maintained between the aircraft”.

The air traffic controller went on to tell the pilot, “I’m sure you can see who it is” and “Keep an eye out for him. He’s white and blue”, referring to the exterior colors of the US president’s aircraft.

The tone of the air traffic controller’s voice grew more exasperated as he apparently tried to get the distracted pilot’s attention. The audio escalated as the controller said, “I got to talk to you twice every time” and “get off the iPad”.

The Spirit Airlines flight was transporting passengers from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Boston on the morning of Sept 16. Air Force One was transporting Mr Trump from the aircraft’s base in Maryland to Britain for a two-day state visit hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Mr Ian Petchenik, Flightradar24’s director of communications, said there might have been legitimate reasons the crew did not respond to the air traffic controller right away, including possible interference on the radio.

A spokesperson for Spirit Airlines wrote in an e-mail that the passenger flight had landed uneventfully in Boston on Sept 16 after it heeded the air traffic controller’s instructions.

“Safety is always our top priority,” the spokesperson said.

It was not clear whether the Spirit Airlines pilot was using an iPad while flying the plane, although pilots are permitted to use portable electronic devices to display aviation data like navigation charts, checklists and operating handbooks.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sept 17. NYTIMES