‘Say Your Prayers!’: JetBlue Flight Diverted After Erratic Pilot Tries to Storm Cockpit
- Posted on March 27, 2012 at 2:50pm by
Erica Ritz
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(Photo: My Fox NY)
JetBlue flight 191 from New York to Las Vegas was diverted to Amarillo, Texas on Tuesday because of a possible “medical situation with the captain.” But that doesn’t begin to describe what happened.
Reports say that shortly before 11am the pilot started acting strange. After being locked out of the cockpit by the co-pilot, he began running up and down the aisle and trying to storm the cockpit screaming, “Say your prayers! Say your prayers!”
Early accounts were unclear as to whether the man was actually a pilot, or just a lunatic. However the airline has come forward and recognized that it was the pilot.
A federal government official tells CBS the captain became incoherent, which caused the co-pilot to become concerned. According to the official, the co-pilot convinced the captain to leave the cockpit and then locked him out. When the captain started pounding on the cockpit door, he was subdued by an off-duty NYPD officer and an off-duty pilot.
JetBlue says that the off-duty captain who was traveling on the flight entered the cockpit and took over the duties of the ill crewmember.
Laurie Dhue, a former Fox News anchor and passenger on the flight, called into “Studio B” with Shepherd Smith and described the scene. According to her, the pilot was originally calmly escorted to the back of the plane. Eventually, however, he started running up and down the aisle screaming and then began pounding on the cockpit door.
According to Dhue, at one point he was yelling, “we got to get this plane down” and other passengers overheard him saying stuff about “Afghanistan” and “Israel.” She could not confirm if he said anything about Islam, but did say a passenger next to her recalled overhearing him saying something about a bomb.
Later, Shepherd Smith interviewed one of the men who helped subdue the pilot. The man gave a detailed account, including describing how he had to “choke” the pilot:
Man taken off JetBlue flight in Amarillo, March 27 (Photo: CBS)
Other reports say he was “ranting about al-Qaeda,” and also shouted, “I need the code, gimme the code, I need to get in there!”
Gabriel Schonzeit, who was seated in the third row, said the pilot went into the bathroom and then started shouting, “Iraq, al-Qaeda, terrorism, we’re all going down.’ It seemed like he went crazy.”
The incoherent individual is described as being around 6′3″ with short, cropped hair. He was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital, and TSA spokesman Luis Casanova is quoted as saying that it “seems to be more of a medical issue than a security issue at this point.” The airline is not releasing his name or medical history.
One passenger remarked, “He picked the wrong plane. Huge guys just tackled him. The response was Olympics kind of stuff.”
JetBlue is coordinating a new plane to take the passengers to their final destination, Las Vegas. They originally departed from New York’s JFK airport.
Purported video of the event’s aftermath has surfaced on YouTube:
This is a breaking story. Updates will be added.
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Comments (77)
Elliesr
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:35pmI’m starting to wonder if this is part of mind control by those who practice it to cause fear in others & maybe cause some type of disaster.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 7:00pmI saw a similar event on CSI but it was a passenger. The passenger went nuts and wanted to get out of the plane or have it descend. The other passengers ended up killing him. Turned out he had an ear infection (if I remember correctly) and lost all equilibrium and rational mental awareness (went nuts).
Sounds just like what happened here. The pilot’s actions mimicked the CSI show to a tee.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 7:05pmI forgot to mention; wanted to get out or have the plane to descend to a lower altitude to ease to pressure differential on his ear drums.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 7:15pmHere’s the link to that CSI show, “Unfriendly Skies”.
http://www.tv.com/shows/csi-crime-scene-investigation/unfriendly-skies-9248/
Report Post »commonsensefreethinker1
Posted on March 29, 2012 at 2:38pmNope, Just another bible thumper thinking jesus is coming and would’nt aprove of him as a pilot landing his passengers into the heart of “SIN” city. LOONEY TOONES!!!!
Report Post »scrapadapolis
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:33pmStryker!!!Stryker!!!Your flying too low pull up pull up…
Report Post »scrapadapolis
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:30pmSince when does the TSA speak for privately owned airlines?Is someone over stepping their authority?
Report Post »LeadNotFollow
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:20pm…
Report Post »He was yelling things that you would hear from the mouth of an Islamic terrorist. Had this guy converted to Muslim? We need facts.
This story will never have an update or follow-up. Just like the stewardess story, from a couple of weeks back, no follow-up.
db321
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:36pmThis has happened twice lately on airlines – if it happens in a work place nobody would hear about it – if it happens on a plane everyone will hear about – looks like the sign of things to come!
Possibly the Judgement of God is coming down on those that threaten Israel the “Apple of Gods Eye”
People make hateful comments under the secrecy of the internet – remember God is watching and you will answer for your word and deed!
If anyone decides to get mad at me – just remember I‘m in Sales and God’s in management!
Report Post »LeadNotFollow
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:18pm…
Report Post »Why was a former soldier, who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, even allowed to pilot a commercial flight?
booger71
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:49pmThis is why (besides the TSA molesters) I no longer fly
Report Post »P8riot
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:56pmhow do we know he is a “former soldier” or suffering from PTSD? Have you read another article with more details? I just ask because so far, I haven’t even seen the guys name… not implicating, just curious.
Report Post »therealconservative
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 6:00pmFrom FoxNews web site:
“Sources tell Fox News the pilot involved in the incident is Clayton Osbon, a flight standards captain for JetBlue from Richmond Hill, Georgia.
Osbon does not appear to have been a veteran and initial reports suggest there is no counterterrorism connection.”
Report Post »Eagledriver
Posted on March 28, 2012 at 10:02amHe’s never been in the military. His path to the airlines was through private flying. And yes, I know him personally.
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:09pmGlad I don’t fly, I’d be a nervous molested flyer.
Report Post »pwatkins
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:01pmCreating chaos in the skies too…huh?
Report Post »LeadNotFollow
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:00pm…
This guy was possibly a George Soros paid “occupy” puppet. Paid to cause chaos, disruption, and fear.
It’s time for passengers to start beating these people within an inch of their lives. Maybe then, all other perpetrators would think twice, before planning to create fear on board flights.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:00pm.
Report Post »Damn Lucky he left the Cabin……..I hear he has PTSD, if so WTF is he doing flying a plane?……
LeadNotFollow
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:58pm…
Report Post »There‘s no mention of the pilot’s name or race, in the story. I’ve not been able to find this info anywhere. Why is this info being withheld? Is his name too ethnic, and revealing?
LeadNotFollow
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:06pm…
Report Post »I can see in the fuzzy photo above, that he’s light-skinned, but that doesn’t necessarily mean his race is white, or that he’s American, or that he’s not a follower of Islam, etc.
civilwar
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 5:17pmI, too, wondered why there was no mention of ethnicity, etc. in this story. Looks like typical left-wing media bias — lets not give the poor muslims a bad name! One can’t help but notice a common thread in all these recent nutjob events.
Report Post »aChameleon
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:54pmOver Macho Grande? No, I’ll never get over Macho Grande.
Report Post »De minimus
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:54pm20 people standing in the isle ready to lend assistance or kill whoever needs it! It’s an airborne rodeo! Very cool!
Report Post »john koenig
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:26pm191 is a cursed flight number for any airline:
May 25, 1979…American flight 191 crashes at Chicago O’Hare killing 275.
August 2, 1985…Delta flight 191 crashes at Dallas-Fort Worth killing 135.
August 27, 2006…Comair flight 191 crashes at Lexington, KY killing 47.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:31pm1 +9 + 1 = 11
191, the same numbers in 911 and add up to 11
All signifigant events happen on dates that add up to 11.
Or something like that, there was a crazy guy that explained that on the 4th hour once, Gary from Cleveland.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:50pmPat, Stu and Glenn were ,can I say crucifing the Numbers guy?? Almost wet my pants.
Report Post »trueblueday
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 10:13pmRainman comes to mind.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:22pmMan, arguements over the Armrest. They can’t share? Come on.
I bet the Co-Pilot drank the last beer.
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:19pmFlying has de-volved from a special way to travel (hot meals, beautiful stewardesses, unrestricted movement of family members to gates) to basically a bus with wings.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:36pmBeautiful stewardesses? What Airline are you flying? Last time I flew it was 2 gay guys and an old fat lady….
Maybe since you now get groped before you get on they have added a beautiful stewardess feature…I dunno, I refuse to fly anymore.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:43pmThis explains it, that was Ralph Cramden…..to the moon Alice, to the Moon.
Report Post »john koenig
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:49pm@Baddoggy…He said in the past…take my word for it, beautiful young stewardesses were the norm until the feds started screaming about discrimination in the late ’70s. People knew how to dress, the food wasn’t just hot, it was good and there were no disturbances mid flight.
Report Post »Our entire society is devolving and the airline experience is a perfect indicator of that fact.
booger71
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:51pmFlying now is like going to walmart, except your in the air.
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:18pmAnother professional union employee at work. Here’s your sign.
Report Post »Best_Patriot
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:30pmSo what, you don’t like airline pilots either???
Report Post »RWNJ01
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 6:04pmJetblue is non-union!
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:16pm“The incoherent individual is described as being around 6′3″ with short, cropped hair.”
Report Post »—————————————————————————————-
White, black, asian, middle-eastern?
Best_Patriot
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:29pmConservative.
Report Post »aChameleon
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:01pm@BP Why did you cut yourself out of the picture on your avatar?
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:05pmHey, you can’t see conservative, but you sure can sure tell progressive/crazy.
Report Post »cessna152
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:13pmIt looked like everything was fine until the pilot told the passengers to “say their prayers”. How dare he make them pray….that’s just crazy!
Report Post »blazingaway
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:12pmThey should have videos on all flights that show what the hell is going on and who is doing what when and how and why.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:14pmI have to agree with that; scenarios like this are becoming all too common lately.
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:15pmI couldn’t care less about the airlines. I don’t fly places anyways, and my own back yard is more interesting.
Report Post »Jaycen
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:48pmI don’t see why. Let private companies run their companies and get the government out of it.
We’d see some of the companies die off, that would put some people out of work in the short term.
We’d see some companies become very successful, and they’d probably hire on some of the folks who lost their jobs from the unprofitable companies.
The airlines would hire private firms to handle security, and “security lines” would go as quickly as they came. Remember how we flew for more than 50 years without security lines? Remember?
Remember how it was 10 full years before body scanners were introduced as a “must have” feature?
I don’t think we need more cameras. I don’t see how anyone makes that argument based on this story. The guy had a medical issue, or a mental breakdown. In any case, no one’s demanding an investigation, so CALL ME CRAZY, but apparently the eye witnesses were enough for local authorities. No need to advertise everyone’s misfortune to the masses so a few voyeurs can enjoy some drama through a web browser at the office.
Report Post »cessna152
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:12pmRight on Jaycen!! Agreed and I have been telling my friends this stuff for years… the free market system with limited government will iron out most problems. Eventually the SMART consumer will fly the safer, best/efficient airline. Get the government out of all this BS!
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:11pmWhat are they doing, getting possessed flying the friendly skies.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:04pmLunatic Pilot or Pilot Lunatic??
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:02pmActually, it sounds like the pilot might have had a mini-stroke and become incoherent. Then, the co-pilot convinced him to leave the cockpit, perhaps to visit the lavatory. When the pilot realized he had been denied access to the cockpit, he became frantic that the flight had been hijacked. Passengers, believing him to be a lunatic, subdued him. Sounds like a guest in the cockpit, a qualified pilot assisted the co-pilot in getting the plane to its alternate. Just sayin’? Hmmmm, maybe we ought to wait until the story comes out–not like another newsworthy event that happened a month ago and just got promoted to prominence in a racey way!
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:10pmYou’re having a stroke…go to the bathroom…
naaa…I thought maybe cuz the Lakers lost…
Report Post »toto
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:12pmNo voices of reason allowed!
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 2:58pmWho’s on first?
Report Post »chips1
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:09pm“I don’t know. Third base?”
Report Post »oldguy49
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 2:57pmfirst an attendant now a pilot……..what are they giving theses people………sure glad i don’t fly
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:05pmSolar flare radiation????
Report Post »Bizarre.
2ndOpinion
Posted on March 29, 2012 at 5:57amSince it is harder for terrorists to get weapons on a plane, and about impossible to breach the cockpit, what’s their next alternative?
These were apparently professional crew members who suddenly went berzerk and that leads me to suspect the following.
Possibility that airport food services have been infiltrated. When an aircrew member buys a meal, the food service worker spikes the food with some psychotic drug that hits them an hour later. What an easy way to incapacitate an aircrew and possibly an airplane. If I were the FBI investigating this pilot, I’d be asking for blood tests and taking a closer look at the backgrounds of food service workers. If I were a pilot, I’d be sure to pack my own lunch.
How many other aircrew members went psychotic that we haven’t heard about because it happened in their hotel room and not on the airplane?
Report Post »scuba13
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 2:54pmWhere did Encinom get a pilot’s uniform?
Report Post »CatB
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:08pm;-) rofl
Report Post »toto
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:10pmGood one!
Report Post »chips1
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:11pmHe wears a hat with a propeller on it, but that doesn’t make him a pilot!!!
Report Post »Todd P
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 3:28pmRoflmao
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