CBS News is reporting that a JetBlue flight bound for Las Vegas was forced to divert to Amarillo, Texas, on Tuesday due to a medical emergency involving the captain, according to the airline.
Flight 191, which departed New York’s John F. Kennedy airport at 7:28am EST carrying approximately 140 passengers and crew members, was enroute when the captain reportedly began behaving erratically.
An Amarillo TV station quoted a passenger as saying the pilot “began running up and down the aisles screaming.”
Another witness said the pilot was screaming, “Say your prayers! Say your prayers!”
The NY Post writes that the plane’s co-pilot was able to lock the crazy captain out of the cockpit, but the captain began pounding on the door and had to be subdued by an off-duty police officer and an off-duty pilot.
“The pilot in command elected to divert to Amarillo, Texas, for a medical situation involving the captain,” JetBlue told NBC News in a statement. “Another captain, traveling off duty, entered the flight deck prior to landing at Amarillo, and took over the duties of the ill crewmember once on the ground.”
The statement added that the flight came to a safe landing in Amarillo at 10:11am CT, where the captain was taken off and transported to a medical facility.
“Passengers remain onboard at this time,” JetBlue said, adding that it is working with airport officials to deplane the aircraft.
Fox News writes that the airline is sending a new airplane to pick up the 135 passengers and continue the flight to Las Vegas.
Check out video footage from the bizarre incident on JetBlue flight 191 below and let us know: Do situations like this keep you from flying? Should JetBlue be more strict when looking into the medical history of pilots?
via NY Daily