By now everyone has heard of Jet Blue Captain Clayton Osbon. It appears he has already been tried and convicted in the media. When I look at the facts—or at least what we know of the facts—of his situation, and his history, I can not help but wonder what else is going on.
Since his breakdown in the cockpit, he has been held at The Pavilion at Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo. A psychiatric hospital is a good place for him to be.
This is a man who has spent many years in the cockpit, with nothing but an exemplary record. This is a man who is well known by neighbors and friends as a man of good character. This is a man whose friends say on camera, “that was not Clayton” as they refer to his unhinged behavior. He was behaving out of character. His wife said “It is our belief, as Clayton’s family, that while he was clearly distressed, he was not intentionally violent toward anyone…There are several different sides to every story. Just keep that in mind.”
Today he was taken from Northwest Texas Hospital to court by the FBI. In a seven minute hearing, he was advised of his rights, and the government filed a motion for pre-trial detention. The judge agreed to hold Osbon in the Randall County Jail in Amarillo without bond.
His situation reminds me of several other incidents I’ve seen lately, where aviation personnel have had meltdowns during flights. Take a second and look at this: An American Airlines flight from Dallas–when this flight attendant on Flight 2232 had a meltdown. Eerily similar, isn’t it? Is it a coincidence?
Both of these incidents happened in Texas.
All I am saying is this. A man does not change overnight. Don’t get me wrong–I don’t think he should be in a cockpit. But whether he had a breakdown, is depressed, was sleepwalking, developing some kind of exhaustion psychosis, affected by a drug or combination of drugs or other factors, Jet Blue Captain Clayton Osbon has spent decades as a man of good character and reputation. He would not just throw it away. He should be in a medical facility with doctors, not in a jail behind bars.
