AMARILLO, Texas, March 28 (UPI) -- A JetBlue pilot was charged in federal court in Texas Wednesday with interfering with crew members, during a mid-flight religious rant and physical outburst.
Amarillo Globe-News reported that in addition to the criminal charges, JetBlue Capt. Clayton F. Osbon was suspended by the airline.
People aboard Tuesday's Flight 191 from New York to Las Vegas had described Osbon as going berserk, forcing passengers to tackle and subdue him. The plane, with 135 passengers and a crew of six, landed safely in Amarillo, Texas.
An FBI affidavit stated the flight's first officer said Osbon told air traffic controllers to "be quiet," turned off the aircraft's radios and said, "We're not going to Vegas" before delivering a "sermon" about the "sins in Las Vegas." He then the cockpit abruptly and went to the lavatory, the newspaper said.
The first officer then had an off-duty pilot join him the cockpit and they locked the door from inside, the affidavit said. Osbon, a 12-year pilot, then talked incoherently to flight attendants before he walked to the back of the plane and "sprinted back" to the front, the document said.
When he was unable to unlock the door with his entry code, he pounded on the door "hard enough that (the first officer) thought he was coming through the door," court records revealed.
The first officer then ordered flight attendants via intercom to restrain the pilot, the affidavit said.
"Several passengers jumped in … and brought Osbon down in the forward galley," the affidavit said. "The flight attendants elected to have the aircraft land without having the assisting passengers return to their seats, because the flight attendants felt they could not risk letting Osbon get up off the floor."
The FBI said Osbon was being guarded Wednesday as he was given a medical evaluation.
