JetBlue pilot to stand trial over in-flight freak out
AMARILLO, Texas (AP) - A judge says 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 ruled Friday in Amarillo after hearing evidence about 49-year-old Clayton F. Osbon's mental competency. She also ordered his psychiatric evaluation be sealed.
Osbon recently underwent a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation. He was indicted in April on one charge of interfering with a flight crew. The allegation stems from a March 27 incident after the plane left New York bound for Las Vegas.
Osbon allegedly ran through the plane's cabin yelling about Jesus and al-Qaida. 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.
On Wednesday, Ten passengers on the flight filed a lawsuit against JetBlue Airways, claiming they feared for their lives when Osbon had to be physically restrained.
According to the lawsuit and a federal indictment, witnesses on Flight 191 say Osbon ran through the cabin in a wild rant.
The lawsuit also claims he was "yelling about September 11th, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, al-Qaida and terrorists."
Other comments, according to the suit, included: "we're all going down", "you better start praying right now", "I'm going to show you Iraq and Iran right now", "there's a bomb on board" "the plane will never make it to Vegas."
U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson ruled Friday in Amarillo after hearing evidence about 49-year-old Clayton F. Osbon's mental competency. She also ordered his psychiatric evaluation be sealed.
Osbon recently underwent a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation. He was indicted in April on one charge of interfering with a flight crew. The allegation stems from a March 27 incident after the plane left New York bound for Las Vegas.
Osbon allegedly ran through the plane's cabin yelling about Jesus and al-Qaida. 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.
On Wednesday, Ten passengers on the flight filed a lawsuit against JetBlue Airways, claiming they feared for their lives when Osbon had to be physically restrained.
According to the lawsuit and a federal indictment, witnesses on Flight 191 say Osbon ran through the cabin in a wild rant.
The lawsuit also claims he was "yelling about September 11th, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, al-Qaida and terrorists."
Other comments, according to the suit, included: "we're all going down", "you better start praying right now", "I'm going to show you Iraq and Iran right now", "there's a bomb on board" "the plane will never make it to Vegas."
