Captain Of The Aircraft Had To Be Restrained During Flight To Las Vegas

A lawsuit has been filed against JetBlue Airways related to an incident which occurred in March in which the captain of a New York to Las Vegas flight became unstable and had to be physically restrained by the passengers and crew.

Ten passengers who were aboard that flight have sued the airline, saying they were in fear for their lives when Captain Clayton Osbon ran through the cabin yelling about al-Qaida and Jesus during the flight. In the scuffle that ensued, one flight attendant suffered bruised ribs, but there were no serious injuries as Osbon was restrained until the flight landed.

The Houston Chronicle reports that suit claims JetBlue was "grossly negligent" in allowing Osbon to fly. One of the plaintiffs said his confidence in air crews generally was diminished because of the incident.

JetBlue would not comment on pending litigation. The suit claims JetBlue should have been aware of any condition affecting Osbon before allowing him to act as captain of the airliner.

All of the plaintiffs are from the New York area, and the suit was filed in state Supreme Court in Queens. Each is seeking unspecified damages.

FMI: www.nycourts.gov/courts/11jd/index.shtml