JetBlue captain subdued after pounding on cockpit

I'm dissapointed at this early stage that FLYING Magazine would have the title of their E-mail
message:
"Details Emerge on JetBlue Captain Meltdown "
I would think a little more class would be in order from a major publication.
The man is one of us, and at this point there is no one that really knows what brought this on.
He was, it seems by all accounts, a stand up guy, well respected, and had what may have been quite simply a medical issue.
It will have serious consequence for sure.
But to have an e-mail sent that seems (to me) to be more akin to shock radio/TV , than a publication supported by our own,
is in some way really irritating to me.
Maybe I'm wrong, I have been into the Rum, but this e-maill title rubs me the wrong way.

FLYING magazine, You dissapoint me...
 
Disappointing? FLYING magazine has been disappointing ever since Len Morgan and Gordon Baxter's columns stopped. Was the only thing worth reading in that rag.
I don't know a single pilot at work who even bothers to read any sort of aviation magazine.
 
Disappointing? FLYING magazine has been disappointing ever since Len Morgan and Gordon Baxter's columns stopped. Was the only thing worth reading in that rag.

Quoted for truth. Len Morgan's articles on flying for an airline are just as accurate now as when he retired from Braniff.

Richman
 
I realize that. That means procedures weren't followed in this particular incident. At any time two crew members should be occupying the flight deck. Clearly, that was not the case. Is FO also at fault here now?

You should work for the TSA.

Seriously, captain has a melt down and you're more worried about if the F/O followed security procedures? I'm very much a follow the rules, color inside the lines kind of guy. But there are situations when the rulebook is useless...this is one of those times.
 
You should work for the TSA.

Seriously, captain has a melt down and you're more worried about if the F/O followed security procedures? I'm very much a follow the rules, color inside the lines kind of guy. But there are situations when the rulebook is useless...this is one of those times.

Exactly. This wasn't really a matter of security protocol- it was a matter of an incapacitated crew member on the flight deck. There are procedures for that. Given that the FO had to remove the CA to prevent him from becoming a danger to self and others, that's all you need to know. It's not really much different than if the CA had stroked out and slumped over in his seat. You move him away from the flight controls and land the plane.
 
I feel very bad for this pilot and his family and look forward to hearing the reasons behind this incident. As mentioned the FAAs and public attitude about pilots health could have been a major factor in this event.

One thing I considered when I traded in my annual ski pass for an aviation career was the fragility of an aviation career. A single incident while flying or a medical issue of any sort could limit your future opportunities or completely derail your career. I know an awesome pilot, training captain as a low time guy, flashed all his training. He is a hardcore climber and skier when not flying. He had a heart murmur diagnosed once in the past and got past the medical. One day the FAA revoked his medical years later till his issue was cleared up, he was grounded for a few weeks. Probably hiked and skied some crazy lines in that time, while some quack in Oklahoma analyzed his health. It is the FAA medical boards approach that creates a mindset where pilots avoid all doctors but the once or twice a year visit to the FAA medical examiner where they check "no" in each column and recite the memorized eye chart to insure one more year of employment.
 
Disappointing? FLYING magazine has been disappointing ever since Len Morgan and Gordon Baxter's columns stopped. Was the only thing worth reading in that rag.
I miss Lane Wallace. She wrote about the fun of flying. Oh, and I enjoy Martha Lunkens articles.
 
I'm just glad the Captain didn't convince the copilot to go to the bathroom before his breakdown. He also would have been able to change the security code, so the copilot couldn't get back in.
 
I'm just glad the Captain didn't convince the copilot to go to the bathroom before his breakdown. He also would have been able to change the security code, so the copilot couldn't get back in.
I believe that's the reason for the rule requiring at least two crewmembers in the cockpit at all times.
 
Report on the news said the FO's name was Jason Dowd. Why does that name sound really familiar to me?
This whole media extravaganza is gonna create a new stereotype. Anyone remember the whole "all pilots are drunks" thing from the 80s and 90s?
 
A friend of mine (JetBlue FO) posted a status on his FB today saying he had about a dozen people sarcastically ask if he and his captain remembered to take their prozac or some other anti depressive med. The insensitive nature of the flying public has reached a new low. Id have had a really hard time not punching someone before the day ended, but thats just me.
 
Back
Top