Jetblue faces lawsuit from pilot who had midair meltdown
As the investigation continues into the mental health of the Germanwings co-pilot who brought down an A320 killing all 150 on board, reports have emerged that a JetBlue pilot who had a midair meltdown in March 2012 is now suing the airline for allowing him to fly that day.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the pilot’s lawsuit claims the airline should have known he was unfit to fly before the plane took off.
The lawsuit argues that before the New York-Las Vegas flight left JFK, Clayton Osbon, 52, missed the crew pre-flight meeting and struggled to complete the pre-flight checklist.
It said the Captain’s ‘uniform, appearance and demeanor’ also clearly demonstrated he was not fit to fly.
Once in the air, Osbon began rambling and told his co-pilot ‘things don’t matter’ and that ‘we need to take a leap of faith’ and ‘we’re not going to Vegas’.
Passengers had to tackle Osbon after he ran through the plane screaming about terrorists, Jesus and the 9/11 terror attack.
The plane was diverted to Amarillo, Texas, where he was arrested by federal authorities and charged with interfering with a flight crew.
Osbon’s defence claimed his erratic behavior that day was due to a seizure from a head injury during his childhood. Osbon was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
He has now filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York and is seeking $14 million in damages.
Meanwhile, investigators into last week’s crash in the French Alps are continuing to look into whether co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed the jet because of mental illness.
It is alleged that Lubitz was receiving treatment from a doctor for depression but hid the condition from his employers.
JetBlue told the Wall Street Journal it could not comment on the litigation but added: "We stand behind the heroic actions of the crew, who followed well-established safety and security procedures."
Under Federal Aviation Administration rules, pilots have to disclose any psychiatric or psychological treatment or hospitalizations.
Pilots also have to undergo a physical either annually or twice a year, depending on their age.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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