A JetBlue airline pilot was pulled from a flight at Logan Airport an hour before takeoff, after he allegedly threatened to kill himself "in spectacular fashion."
Logan Airport's Federal Security Director George Naccara says a report that the unidentified airline pilot threatened to crash the plane is "misleading." A source told WBZ Radio the pilot was taken into custody for allegedly sending an email to his girlfriend in which he said if they did not reconcile their relationship, he was going to crash the plane. Um...that is MISLEADING-one statement involves him killing himself, the other scenario involves the pilot taking down an entire plane of people.
Logan's Naccara claims "he [the Jet Blue pilot] never threatened crashing the aircraft. It was a situation in which he was threatening to take his own life and, in fact, his words were he may do it in 'some spectacular fashion'. Investigators believe the Jet Blue pilot, who was to be a co-pilot on the flight for which he was scheduled, was intending to hurt himself after the flight, perhaps overnight. Naccara said the pilot's girlfriend, who is a flight attendant, "did the right thing" when she tipped off authorities. The Jet Blue pilot was pulled from the pilot's lounge an hour before the 2:30 p.m. flight for what JetBlue called "heath-related reasons."
State Police spokesman David Procopio said three troopers, quickly backed up by four more, confronted the pilot at a crew lounge and he surrendered a gun that he was carrying legally. "Actions were taken immediately and the situation was diffused very effectively," Naccara said. "Never was anyone in any kind of jeopardy," said Nacarra. "This was very much an isolated case, certainly not related to any type of terrorism." Umm...who said it was related to terrorism? J
et Blue called the report about the threat to crash the plane "vicious rumor and speculation." Well, now, that depends Jet Blue-was the flight attendant involved with the pilot scheduled to work on the outgoing flight?; if that's the case, perhaps the JetBlue pilot was planning to take down the entire plane-including the flight attendant. Bryan Baldwin, manager of corporate communications for JetBlue, wrote in an email to WBZ-TV, "At no point were any customers or aircraft in danger. We are working closely with Boston authorities to ensure our crew member receives appropriate medical attention." Last checked, a pilot isn't simply a 'crew member', Jet Blue.
The Jet Blue pilot is "being evaluated at Mass. General Hospital," Naccara said. "He is not in custody, he will not be flying, of course, and other actions will be taken by JetBlue and also by the FAA." The pilot was not charged with illegal possession of a firearm, because he was a member of the Federal Flight Deck Officer program and screened to carry a weapon. The post-9/11 program screens, trains, arms and deputizes pilots, flight engineers and navigators as a last line of aircraft security. The TSA says the members of this program must undergo a mental health evaluation in order to be certified to carry the gun; apparently that mental health evaluation didn't include pilots dating other company employees.