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Jetblue Pilot And Charges

April 2, 2012 by · Comments Off on Jetblue Pilot And Charges 

Jetblue Pilot And Charges, The JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU) captain whose erratic behavior caused the plane he had been flying to be diverted to Amarillo, Texas, will remain in federal custody after his first court appearance since the March 27 incident.

Clayton Frederick Osbon, 49, was charged with interfering with a flight crew after the New York-to-Las Vegas flight landed. He appeared in court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Clinton Averitte, who scheduled a detention hearing for April 5. Averitte said the government wanted Osbon held without bond.

“Do you understand what they say you did?” Averitte asked after reading the formal charge.

“Yes,” said Osbon. Wearing a green dress shirt and green pants, the pilot, whose ankles were shackled, frowned through much of the five-minute proceeding, except for a moment when he nodded and winked at family members in the gallery.

If convicted, Osbon could be sentenced to as long as 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for his actions aboard the flight, according to U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldana in Dallas. Her office didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment on today’s hearing. Osbon’s attorney, E. Dean Roper, declined to comment.

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