Clayton Osbon is not the first Osbon to have cause to fear a plane. Osbon, the Jet Blue pilot who recently had an on-the-job meltdown (described as erratic, bizarre, disturbing behavior) while piloting an Airbus from New York to Las Vegas lost his father in a Daytona Beach plane crash in 1995. Maybe his father’s death had something to do with Osbon’s March 27 mid-flight breakdown. Osbon’s panic attack led to him being tackled outside the cockpit and handcuffed as the quick-thinking co-pilot Jason Dowd and another Jet Blue pilot who happened to be aboard diverted the flight to Amarillo.
Before he left the cockpit, Captain Osbon, a captain since 1989, began ranting to Jason Dowd about Flight 191’s destination, threatening to crash the plane rather than fly into the den of iniquity that is Las Vegas.
Osbon has been charged with interfering with the flight crew. He has been suspended from his job, and is charged with interfering with the flight crew. He faces 20 years (max) in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Nothing in his history relates to his breakdown. Osbon is described by his friends and peers as a “consummate professional.” He is a war vet who is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
What: Jetblue Airbus A320-200 en route from New York to Las Vegas
Where: Amarillo
When: March 27 2012
Who: 1 medical emergency, 135 passengers, six crew
Why: While en route, the pilot of the JetBlue Airbus suffered a panic attack, and had to be locked out of the cabin and forcibly restrained.
Viva Air Colombia flight VH-6769 suffered a runway excursion at Matecaña International Airport in Pereira, Colombia, on November 24th.
Virgin America flight VX-501 made a safe landing following a bird strike in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 28th.
