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JetBlue CEO on pilot’s mid-air meltdown: ‘It started medical, but clearly wasn’t’

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Supposedly Jetblue is providing legal support. The curious part is how effective can they be.

JetBlue is paying for his attorneys. However:

How much experience do they have dealing with FAA enforcement actions?

How much experience do they have with FAA Aeromedical?

How much experience do they have....period?

We all know the answers to these questions if Clayton had access to ALPA legal....but 1193 short-sighted fools didn't think any of us would need it...:rolleyes:
 
I don't think anyone will be able to get his medical back. Even if that happens, he won't be flying people around. Putting him in the cockpit would be commercial suicide for jetblue. Sad, but true.

Not so sure about that- let the case play out.
Northwest pilots got caught drunk and at least one got their job back after recertifying and an alcohol program and w/o media fanfare.
We still have many backwards ideas about mental health-

AlbieF15- after FedEx 705 I get the impulse to lump this in- but there is a serious difference between having a mental stressed episode and homicidal/suicidal actions. Huge difference. Auburn Calloway was a psychopath. I haven't heard the worst critics claiming that here.

With all the pilot suicides occurring in the last 10 years- we need to systemically deal with the stress that many airlines purposefully put their crews through.
 
JetBlue is paying for his attorneys. However:

How much experience do they have dealing with FAA enforcement actions?

How much experience do they have with FAA Aeromedical?

How much experience do they have....period?

We all know the answers to these questions if Clayton had access to ALPA legal....but 1193 short-sighted fools didn't think any of us would need it...:rolleyes:

I agree. The point I was delicately trying to make is CO voted against representation. He is relying on a legal support that does not have his best ingest in mind. Regardless of the union the legal support provided would have only the pilot in mind. JetBlue has to play both sides.
 
JetBlue does what is best for JetBlue. Right now the best thing for JetBlue to do is play stand by your man. When it no longer is beneficial to JetBlue's public image they will cut bait. How can it possibly be in anyone's best interest to only have company paid attorneys represent you in your time of need? This is what the majority of individuals that make up the pilot "group" at JetBlue have voted for whether they knew it or not.

B6Busdriver gets it
 
B6 Paxs Sue Over Pilot's In-Flight Meltdown

JetBlue passengers sue over pilot's in-flight meltdown
By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY

Ten passengers who were on a March JetBlue flight disrupted by a pilot's bizarre behavior are suing the airline, the Associated Press reports.

In the suit, the passengers say they feared for their lives as JetBlue Capt. Clayton Osbon ran through the cabin screaming about Jesus and al-Qaida. Osbon eventually has to be physically pinned down by crew and passengers as the New York-to-Las Vegas flight diverted to the Texas panhandle city of Amarillo.

The plaintiffs claim JetBlue was "grossly negligent" in allowing Osbon to fly. The suit was filed in state Supreme Court in Queens, N.Y.

No one was seriously hurt during the March 27 flight, though AP notes that a flight attendant suffered bruised ribs as passengers rushed to restrain Osbon.

Osbon is scheduled to appear at a hearing in Amarillo on Friday in which the court will evaluate whether he is mentally competent to stand trial. Facing federal charges of interfering with a flight crew, Osbon could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

JetBlue did not immediately comment about the lawsuit, which AP writes "claims JetBlue knew or should have known he was unfit to be entrusted with the aircraft as pilot."

The plaintiffs, all residents of the New York City area, cite emotional distress in seeking unspecified damages.
 
JetBlue passengers sue over pilot's in-flight meltdown
By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY

Ten passengers who were on a March JetBlue flight disrupted by a pilot's bizarre behavior are suing the airline, the Associated Press reports.

In the suit, the passengers say they feared for their lives as JetBlue Capt. Clayton Osbon ran through the cabin screaming about Jesus and al-Qaida. Osbon eventually has to be physically pinned down by crew and passengers as the New York-to-Las Vegas flight diverted to the Texas panhandle city of Amarillo.

The plaintiffs claim JetBlue was "grossly negligent" in allowing Osbon to fly. The suit was filed in state Supreme Court in Queens, N.Y.

No one was seriously hurt during the March 27 flight, though AP notes that a flight attendant suffered bruised ribs as passengers rushed to restrain Osbon.

Osbon is scheduled to appear at a hearing in Amarillo on Friday in which the court will evaluate whether he is mentally competent to stand trial. Facing federal charges of interfering with a flight crew, Osbon could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

JetBlue did not immediately comment about the lawsuit, which AP writes "claims JetBlue knew or should have known he was unfit to be entrusted with the aircraft as pilot."

The plaintiffs, all residents of the New York City area, cite emotional distress in seeking unspecified damages.


Ahhhhhhhhhhh, time for some lawyerun'. Gots to get mu babby daddy paid up on herru. Spin, spin, spin.................big money!!!
 
Don't blame those people for suing. The airlines have to do a better job of keeping out the religious wack-jobs. I bet those people thought they were on a "come to Jesus" flight.
 
JetBlue passengers sue over pilot's in-flight meltdown
By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY

Ten passengers who were on a March JetBlue flight disrupted by a pilot's bizarre behavior are suing the airline, the Associated Press reports.

In the suit, the passengers say they feared for their lives as JetBlue Capt. Clayton Osbon ran through the cabin screaming about Jesus and al-Qaida. Osbon eventually has to be physically pinned down by crew and passengers as the New York-to-Las Vegas flight diverted to the Texas panhandle city of Amarillo.

The plaintiffs claim JetBlue was "grossly negligent" in allowing Osbon to fly. The suit was filed in state Supreme Court in Queens, N.Y.

No one was seriously hurt during the March 27 flight, though AP notes that a flight attendant suffered bruised ribs as passengers rushed to restrain Osbon.

Osbon is scheduled to appear at a hearing in Amarillo on Friday in which the court will evaluate whether he is mentally competent to stand trial. Facing federal charges of interfering with a flight crew, Osbon could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

JetBlue did not immediately comment about the lawsuit, which AP writes "claims JetBlue knew or should have known he was unfit to be entrusted with the aircraft as pilot."

The plaintiffs, all residents of the New York City area, cite emotional distress in seeking unspecified damages.

Ridiculous to say the least.
 
Let's see,

Fearing for your life and landing safely are pretty far apart. It's like when people try to sue over an engine failure with subsequent safe landing. They walked away unharmed, but feel someone should pay them for 'emotional distress'? Please. Definitely lame.

But I'm sure Jetblue will pony up to make them go away, and these people know it.
 
FYI....Jetblue is paying for FOUR full time attorneys for Clayton.....two are criminal attorneys, one is an FAA attorney and one has psych experience.....

Sure...ALPA attorneys would have gotten him off by now...I know, I know...

But..would you FOs want to walk in that cockpit and see my boy sitting in the left seat?
 
FYI....Jetblue is paying for FOUR full time attorneys for Clayton.....two are criminal attorneys, one is an FAA attorney and one has psych experience.....

Sure...ALPA attorneys would have gotten him off by now...I know, I know...

But..would you FOs want to walk in that cockpit and see my boy sitting in the left seat?

Jetblue paid Kevin Fitzpatrick to protect Jetblue pilots.

Jetblue paid Ron Natalie.
 
I digress for a moment; is this really something that needs to go through the court system or is it more of a publicity stunt by the prosecuting attorney's office?
 
B6 Pilot Competent To Stand Trial

Associated Press

AMARILLO, Texas – A judge ruled Friday that a JetBlue Airways pilot who left the cockpit during a flight and screamed about religion and terrorists is mentally competent to stand trial.

U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson issued her ruling in Amarillo after hearing evidence about 49-year-old Clayton F. Osbon's mental competency.

Osbon recently underwent a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation at a medical facility to see if he could assist properly in his defense and to determine if he was sane at the time of the alleged offense. Robinson ruled Friday that the evaluation should be sealed.

He was indicted in April on one charge of interfering with a flight crew. The offense is defined as assaulting or intimidating the crew, interfering with its duties or diminishes its ability to operate the plane.

If convicted, Osbon could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
The allegation stems from an in-air incident March 27 after the plane left New York for Las Vegas.

Osbon, of Richmond Hills, Ga., who has been with JetBlue since 2000, allegedly ran through the plane's cabin yelling about Jesus and al-Qaeda. The first officer locked him out of the cockpit and passengers wrestled him to the floor before the plane made an emergency landing in Amarillo.
Shortly after leaving New York on the five-hour flight, Osbon started rambling about religion to the first officer, according to court documents. He scolded air traffic controllers to quiet down, then turned off the radios altogether, and dimmed the monitors in the cockpit. He said aloud that "things just don't matter" and encouraged his co-pilot that they take a leap of faith.

"We're not going to Vegas," Osbon said, according to the affidavit.
Osbon was suspended after the incident. JetBlue Airways spokeswoman Sharon Jones said Thursday that Osbon remains an employee and his status is inactive.
 
Once this begins, there will be nothing to protect pilots from prosecution.

It started in Brazil, continued in Venezuela, and now prosecutors in the US are making their career assigning, trying, and getting convictions for aviation tragedies. It began years ago.
 
Once this begins, there will be nothing to protect pilots from prosecution.

The guy went postal, scaring the crew and the pax, luckily the c/p and dh crew had the sense to remove him from the cockpit and restrain him, who knows what could have happened.

The guy is either mental or criminal in this case, and to just let bygones be bygones is not the answer.

Criminalizing a negligent mistake is too much, but ignoring a true risk to the safety of the plane is not analogous with the pilot profession.
 
As in any case involving pilot improprieties or misdeeds; it is important to note that judges and arbitrators are the travelling public and see themselves as such. Hence, they will do as they see fit to protect the travelling public, and allow themselves to sleep soundly.

This man will never pilot a revenue flight ever again, right or wrong, the system will see to it.
 
when do the new rest rules start?

"A JetBlue Airways pilot who disrupted a New York-to-Las-Vegas flight by leaving the cockpit and yelling about religion and terrorists should be freed rather than committed to a mental health facility, a Texas judge ruled Friday.

Clayton Osbon was charged with interference with a flight crew for the March incident, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity in July. A forensic neuropsychologist testified in a short, unpublicized trial that Osbon had a "brief psychotic disorder" brought on by lack of sleep.

U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson said Friday that Osbon would be allowed to go free, but set certain conditions for his release. He will not be allowed to fly or board any commercial or private planes without the permission of Robinson or his probation officer, and he will not be allowed to communicate with any of the passengers on the March 27 flight he disrupted, according to the judge's order.

"This is a bad situation for you and your family, but you are fortunate to have the type of immediate support that you have," Robinson said."
 
"A JetBlue Airways pilot who disrupted a New York-to-Las-Vegas flight by leaving the cockpit and yelling about religion and terrorists should be freed rather than committed to a mental health facility, a Texas judge ruled Friday.

Clayton Osbon was charged with interference with a flight crew for the March incident, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity in July. A forensic neuropsychologist testified in a short, unpublicized trial that Osbon had a "brief psychotic disorder" brought on by lack of sleep.

U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson said Friday that Osbon would be allowed to go free, but set certain conditions for his release. He will not be allowed to fly or board any commercial or private planes without the permission of Robinson or his probation officer, and he will not be allowed to communicate with any of the passengers on the March 27 flight he disrupted, according to the judge's order.

"This is a bad situation for you and your family, but you are fortunate to have the type of immediate support that you have," Robinson said."

He is fortunate to have the type of family support the judge references. Don't know him, but wish him and his family the best on their future pursuits, and hopefully a career that affords an opportunity of plenty of sleep.
 

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