Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Video: JetBlue Captain Has Mid-Flight Meltdown, Gets Locked Out Of Cockpit
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 27, 2012
Modified Mar 27, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 27, 2012
Modified Mar 27, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A JetBlue flight from JFK airport to Las Vegas had to make an emergency landing in Amarillo, Texas this morning after the captain had some sort of "meltdown." Initial reports from Fox 5 had it that "a man apparently told passengers to 'say their prayers' and tried to storm the cockpit." That man, it turns out, was the freaking CAPTAIN, who had to be subdued by an off-duty NYC cop and by an off-duty JetBlue pilot. [UPDATE: We spoke with a passenger on the flight.] Here's video taken by one passenger after the Captain was subdued—be sure to watch all the way to the end for a real New York moment in Texas:
An unidentified government official tells CBS "the captain became incoherent, which caused the co-pilot to become concerned. According to the official, the co-pilot convinced the captain to leave the cockpit and then locked him out... The captain exhibited odd behavior, randomly striking up conversations with passengers on his way back to the cockpit. When he realized he was locked out, a passenger says the pilot began screaming 'let me in' and acting erratically. One witness says he started running up and down the aisle screaming." Another report says the Captain was "foaming at the mouth" and yelling about a bomb.
An off-duty JetBlue captain who happened to be on the flight stepped in and took over in the the cockpit. The flight, number 191, landed in Amarillo around 10 a.m., and the Captain was taken to a local hospital. JetBlue issued this statement:
Flight 191 departed New York’s JFK airport at 7:28 am ET (was scheduled to depart 6:55 am ET). At roughly 10 am CT/11 am ET, the pilot in command elected to divert to Amarillo, TX for a medical situation involving the Captain. 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 aircraft arrived Amarillo at 10:11 am CT, and the crewmember was removed from the aircraft and taken to a local medical facility.
Customers have safely deplaned and we’re sending a new aircraft and crew to Amarillo to continue the flight to Las Vegas.
Despite the flight crew's futile request for everyone to stop documenting the drama ("We don't need pictures of this, please!") you can see plenty of cell phones in the air during that first video above. Here's more, in which you can hear a commotion up front. We're guessing they'll be more YouTube footage coming up soon, and we'll update accordingly.
.@JetBlue co-pilot just had a panic attack, the other pilot noticed & locked him out if the cockpit. Tried to take down the plane. @ccnbrk
— Grant F. Heppes (@GrantHeppes) March 27, 2012
Our pilot went nuts and we had to land in Amarillo. I am never flying jetblue ever again!! saw my life flash before my eyes today..unreal.
— tiffany k. lee (@T733) March 27, 2012
Tagged
air travel
airlines
jetblue
jfk airport
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .