Power of pilots in cockpit scrutinized

After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, airline pilots gained more authority and independence: They sit behind locked cockpit doors, can carry guns and are starting to bypass regular airport security lines.

The authority, which pilots had sought, has worked well so far to protect control of a plane and its passengers by leaving it in the hands of the captain and co-pilot.

But a bizarre incident Tuesday, when JetBlue Airways captain Clayton Osbon was subdued by passengers after raving about 9/11 and terrorists, prompts questions about vesting so much power in pilots.

Checks and balances for pilots include medical screenings and having fellow crewmembers keep an eye on one another's physical and mental fitness. Many flight security experts say that these steps are sufficient and that the incident shouldn't be used to undermine an airline pilot's authority.

"Someone has to be absolutely in charge," says Anthony Roman, a trained pilot and head of Roman & Associates, a global security and risk management firm in Texas.

Until Tuesday, Osbon, 49, enjoyed a good professional reputation. He flew 12 years for JetBlue. His airline's CEO, Dave Barger, praised him as "a consummate professional."

Osbon's co-pilot, Jason Dowd of Salem, Ohio, safely landed in Amarillo after locking Osbon out of the cockpit. While officials praised Dowd's handling of the bizarre situation, the incident was troubling.

Randall Larsen, a former Air Force officer who is director of the Institute for Homeland Security, urged a thorough investigation in case the incident stemmed from an untreated or poorly treated medical problem.

"The question to me was was the pilot on medication or was he off medication or was it something to do with something else," Larsen said.

"If it were just a mental breakdown, that's one thing -- but that is really a frightening thing," he said.

Contributing: The Associated Press