JetBlue Pilot Who Yelled During Flight Over Texas Sues Airline For $16M
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NEW YORK (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — A JetBlue Airways pilot who scared passengers by yelling about Jesus and al-Qaida in 2012 has sued the airline for $16 million, saying it jeopardized the flight by failing to recognize he was ill.
Clayton Osbon filed the lawsuit Friday in Manhattan federal court.
No one was seriously injured on the March 27, 2012 flight from New York to Las Vegas when Osbon was restrained after running through the cabin shouting irrationally.
A federal government official told CBS News Osbon became incoherent, which caused the co-pilot to become concerned. According to the official, the co-pilot convinced Osbon to leave the cockpit and then locked him out.
The lawsuit came the same week European prosecutors said a Germanwings co-pilot crashed an Airbus A320 commercial flight into a mountainside in the French Alps, killing 150 people. That crash has drawn scrutiny to procedures in place to protect flights when pilots are disabled.
On the JetBlue flight, witnesses say the captain exhibited odd behavior, randomly striking up conversations with passengers on his way back to the cockpit. Then when he realized he was locked out, a passenger says Osbon began screaming "let me in" and acting erratically.
This YouTube video was allegedly taken by a passenger on the flight:
JetBlue flight 191 made an emergency landing in Amarillo. The lawsuit said Osbon's behavior resulted from seizures. The lawsuit accused JetBlue of ignoring warning signs Osbon was not well before the plane took off.
In a statement Friday, JetBlue praised the "heroic actions of the crew," saying ongoing litigation prevents it from commenting further.
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
