Jet Blue Pilot that Melted Down Released Today
In this handout from the Randall County Sheriff’s Office, JetBlue pilot Clayton Osbon is seen April 2, in Amerillo, Texas. (Handout/AFP/Getty Images)
Clayton Osbon, the JetBlue pilot who was arrested in March for having a meltdown midair, was freed from federal custody Friday, but remains barred from boarding or flying an airplane.
Osbon’s erratic behavior while piloting a JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas led his co-pilot to eject him from the cockpit; he subsequently ran through the cockpit shouting about "September 11th, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda and terrorists," and pounding on the flight deck door before finally being restrained by passengers, Bloomberg Businessweek reported.
Osbon was found not guilty by insanity in July, but was kept at a federal medical center in Fort Worth, Texas to undergo treatment for his mental condition. A "psychotic episode" further extended his stay, CNN reported.Enlarge
By Steve Douglas, A
US District Court Judge Mary Lou Robinson ruled that the pilot be released. The conditions include continued mental health treatment, as well as staying off planes and not communicating with anyone who was present on his final flight with JetBlue, according to CNN.
"This is a bad situation for you and your family, but you are fortunate to have the type of immediate support that you have," said Robinson during the sentencing, the Associated Press reported.
Osbon is still an employee with JetBlue, but on inactive duty, the Los Angeles Times reported.
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