A couple of updates with perhaps the inevitable spin control from the P.R. folks:
BOSTON -- A JetBlue pilot was taken to the hospital after he allegedly sent a text threatening to hurt himself on Thursday, according to sources close to 7NEWS.
The JetBlue pilot at Logan Airport was removed from duty and taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for an evaluation.
Sources said the man sent a suicidal text message to his girlfriend. When she saw the message, the girlfriend notified the authorities.
TSA then interviewed the pilot. Agents took his gun, but the pilot was not arrested.
Sources said the pilot was not on an airplane at the time, but was in a group room, where crew members meet prior to boarding flights.
WHDH-TV - JetBlue pilot taken to Mass General for evaluation
Some reports mention an e-mail, others a text message.
May 21, 2010 9:34 am US/Eastern
TSA: Pilot Wanted Suicide In 'Spectacular Fashion'
Officials Insist Pilot Only Thought Of Harming Himself; Removed From Flight Due To 'Illness'
BOSTON (CBS) ― A JetBlue pilot caused a scare when he allegedly threatened to crash his plane, which company and federal officials deny.
A JetBlue pilot was pulled from a flight at Logan Airport Thursday just an hour before takeoff after he allegedly threatened to kill himself "in spectacular fashion," authorities said Friday.
But Logan Airport's Federal Security Director George Naccara said a report that the unidentified pilot threatened to crash the plane is "misleading."
A source told WBZ Radio in Boston 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.
Naccara told WBZ Radio Friday the pilot did "exchange email with another person and we were alerted through various sources," but he denied the pilot threatened to crash his flight out of Logan.
"He 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' but not anything to do with the aircraft and no reference to crashing the aircraft or harming anyone else other than himself," he said.
Naccara said it appears that the pilot's girlfriend, who is a flight attendant, was the person who tipped off authorities.
The pilot was pulled from pilot's lounge an hour before the flight for what JetBlue called "heath-related reasons."
"Actions were taken immediately and the situation was diffused very effectively," Naccara said.
"Never was anyone in any kind of jeopardy. This was very much an isolated case, certainly not related to any type of terrorism."
The airline says media reports about the threat to crash the plane were "vicious rumor and speculation."
Bryan Baldwin, manager of corporate communications for JetBlue, wrote in an email to CBS station 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."
"He's 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."
JetBlue, Federal Security Officials Deny Pilot Threatened To Crash Plane - cbs3.com