ROMULUS -- A drunk airport worker with a half-empty beer in his vehicle and an unopened can in his pocket flipped his deicer rig on a remote airstrip at Metro Airport on Wednesday afternoon, airport officials said.
The man, whose name was not released, flipped the rig shortly after starting his shift, said airport spokesman Mike Conway. Airport police who responded to the accident, which occurred around 3 p.m., gave him a Breathalyzer test, which he failed.
"It was well over" the 0.08 Michigan legal limit, Conway said.
The man, younger than 21, was fired, Conway said. He worked for Orlando, Fla.-based Aircraft Service International Group, which performs refueling and deicing duties at the airport. He was in custody Wednesday night at the airport police lockup.
"Not only is he underage drinking, he's operating a vehicle under the influence," Conway said. "The Airport Authority is not happy about this. He's never going to work here again."
Conway said other workers noticed the man driving erratically and a supervisor was preparing to follow him onto the airfield when the rig flipped.
He added the man was not near any terminals and posed no threat to passenger safety.
The incident came two days after another ASIG employee, Dorian Powell, 18, of Detroit was killed when he was crushed by a tug used to pull planes.
The man, whose name was not released, flipped the rig shortly after starting his shift, said airport spokesman Mike Conway. Airport police who responded to the accident, which occurred around 3 p.m., gave him a Breathalyzer test, which he failed.
"It was well over" the 0.08 Michigan legal limit, Conway said.
The man, younger than 21, was fired, Conway said. He worked for Orlando, Fla.-based Aircraft Service International Group, which performs refueling and deicing duties at the airport. He was in custody Wednesday night at the airport police lockup.
"Not only is he underage drinking, he's operating a vehicle under the influence," Conway said. "The Airport Authority is not happy about this. He's never going to work here again."
Conway said other workers noticed the man driving erratically and a supervisor was preparing to follow him onto the airfield when the rig flipped.
He added the man was not near any terminals and posed no threat to passenger safety.
The incident came two days after another ASIG employee, Dorian Powell, 18, of Detroit was killed when he was crushed by a tug used to pull planes.
