Judge finds former JetBlue pilot not guilty...

This sure didn't take very long. Is seems that the insanity defense does work.

An Amarillo federal judge found former JetBlue captain Clayton F. Osbon not guilty by reason of insanity during a bench trial Tuesday. Osbon will be sent again to a federal mental health facility in Fort Worth for further examination until another hearing on or before Aug. 6, U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson said.

I kind of feel sorry for the guy. I just wonder if it was you or I. Would the outcome be quite different?

On a March 27 flight, co-pilot Jason Dowd diverted the flight to Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport after Osbon became incoherent, racing inside the cabin, yelling about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and pounding on the cockpit door, according to federal court records and passengers. The plane was en route to Las Vegas from New York, and nobody was injured.

It seems this type of thing is happening more often. Especially with Airline employee's.

Could frequent flyers be subjected to something unseen?

An April indictment from a Lubbock grand jury alleged Osbon “moved through the aircraft and was disruptive and had to be subdued and forcibly restrained from re- entering the cockpit.”

One more thing bothers me...If the pilot is a woman, is it still called the cockpit?...

Amarillo.com

Flying that often could definitely make one more paranoid if they are prone to it anyway I would think. I find myself rarely thinking about it because I have never flown and will never fly. If I had to do it everyday...I would probably need some mood stabilizers myself. I don't think they are being affected by anything other than msm, their own fears, hype, etc.

And yes. "Cockpit" fits for women as well. Let it sink in for a minute...

I have not researched this extensively, however, I'm willing to lay money on him being on some type of anti-depressant. I believe a pilot may obtain a waiver if taking such meds but you would have to read the current policies.

Originally posted by type0civ
I have not researched this extensively, however, I'm willing to lay money on him being on some type of anti-depressant. I believe a pilot may obtain a waiver if taking such meds but you would have to read the current policies.

I believe he was once a combat pilot.

That might be an issue.

I still wonder if the increase of Solar activity has an effect on some people.

reply to post by whyamIhere


Maybe

There hasn't been a lot of research on this subject. I think the poor guy just lost it, stress can do that to you. Heck, it does it to me if I don't work to control my stress.

reply to post by antonia

I think the poor guy just lost it

Completely agree. I have enough trouble making sure the dog and I are fed and both go potty in the right place. I can't imagine being responsible for a tube hurtling through the air packed with people.

I'm surprised the insanity defense worked, it's so rarely used and even then rarely successful.

But since the insanity defense is utilized almost exclusively in murder cases (it is extremely rare in any other type of offense), the publicity it receives is far out of proportion to its use. It has become part of the promotional apparatus of high profile criminal cases in modern times.

I lold when I saw that the quoted article used Encarta 2000 as a source, but there you go.

Link

Successful NGRI defenses are rare. While rates vary from state to state, on average less than one defendant in 100—0.85 percent— actually raises the insanity defense nationwide. Interestingly, states with higher rates of NGRI defenses tend to have lower success rates for NGRI defenses; the percentage of all defendants found NGRI is fairly constant, at around 0.26 percent.

Link

Changes in altitude can affect the brain over time. Most people it won't affect in any way, but some people with a preexisting condition can be affected, but it can take time for it to show up. Or if he had some kind of infection, like meningitis (obviously he doesn't or they would have found it), then the altitude would have really messed with his head.

Originally posted by Zaphod58
Changes in altitude can affect the brain over time. Most people it won't affect in any way, but some people with a preexisting condition can be affected, but it can take time for it to show up. Or if he had some kind of infection, like meningitis (obviously he doesn't or they would have found it), then the altitude would have really messed with his head.

I hope the man recovers.

I did not consider he may have some pre-existing condition.

I am also glad he did not go to jail and nobody got hurt.

I am just paranoid of unseen forces...