During a JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas in March, Clayton F. Obson, left the cockpit and ran through the cabin of the aircraft yelling about religion and terrorism. According to a story on NBCNewYork.com, Osbon told his copilot "We're not going to Vegas." Furthermore, the site reports, "Osbon started rambling about religion to the first officer, according to court documents. He scolded air traffic controllers to quiet down, then turned off the radios altogether and dimmed the monitors in the cockpit. He said aloud that 'things just don't matter' and encouraged his co-pilot that they take a leap of faith." He was eventually subdued by passengers. The plane made an emergency landing in Amarillo, Texas.
He was suspended by JetBlue after the incident, and Sharon Jones, the spokeswoman for JetBlue Airways, said that Osbon is still an employee of the airline but his status is inactive.
A judge ordered him to submit to a psychiatric evaluation to determine if he was mentally capable of standing trial and to see if he was sane when the incident occurred. He has been found competent to assist in his defense, and the document is now sealed. Osbon told the judge that he agreed with her assessment. Neither Osbon's lawyer, Dean Roper, nor the U.S. Assistant Attorney Denise Williams commented after the hearing.
Roper filed a motion prior to the hearing notifying the court that he plans to use an insanity defense at trial. The court's ruling that Osbon is fit to stand trial should not affect that strategy because the agreement states that he "is not now suffering from a mental disease or defect which would interfere with his ability to meet the legal criteria of competency to stand trial." It makes no mention of his state of mind in March.
Although U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson did not set a trial date, Osbon, 49, is facing charges of interfering with a flight crew. The offense is defined as assaulting or intimidating the crew, interfering with its duties or diminishing its ability to operate the plane. If found guilty, Osbon could be sent to prison for 20 years.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
