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. He was locked out of the cockpit and restrained, and another JetBlue pilot who was aboard assisted the first officer in the cockpit as they diverted to Amarillo and made a safe landing.
The pilot had walked to the back of the plane, and when he returned to the cockpit and found he was locked out, he began yelling “Let me in” and raving about a bomb.
After landing in Amarillo, the captain was taken off the plane into an ambulance that sat on the tarmac for thirty minutes before he was taken to an Amarillo hospital.
Jet Blue’s Official Statement
“Flight 191 departed New York’s JFK airport at 7:28 am ET (was scheduled to depart 6:55 am ET). At roughly 10 am CT/11 am ET, the pilot in command elected to divert to Amarillo, TX for a medical situation involving the Captain. Another Captain, traveling off duty, entered the flight deck prior to landing at Amarillo, and took over the duties of the ill crewmember once on the ground. The aircraft arrived Amarillo at 10:11 am CT, and the crewmember was removed from the aircraft and taken to a local medical facility. Customers remain on board at this time. JetBlue is working with local authorities and airport officials for the safe deplaning of the aircraft and will send a new aircraft to continue the flight to LAS.” |
Air Canada flight AC-864 made an emergency landing at Heathrow Airport, Longford, England, on April 16th.