Co-pilot arrested on alcohol charges

[Hatu]

(CNN) -- Authorities in Utah ordered a Southwest Airlines co-pilot out of the cockpit of his Arizona-bound jet shortly before takeoff Sunday morning and jailed him on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol, FBI and airline officials said.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/09/pilot.arrested/index.html

 

[jimntx]

Obviously a trumped up charge. You can't get alcohol in Utah on a Sunday morning.

For his sake I hope it's nothing more than an overzealous TSA person's opinion of his breath.

 

[Dave]

Obviously a trumped up charge. You can't get alcohol in Utah on a Sunday morning.

For his sake I hope it's nothing more than an overzealous TSA person's opinion of his breath.

Doesn't look that way....I read he failed two breathalyzer tests.

 

[boxer]

Curious.....How did WN dispatch the flight with only a 15 min delay?

 

[hp_fa]

Curious.....How did WN dispatch the flight with only a 15 min delay?

That was my question. I would guess there was a FO riding along who then worked the flight.

 

[WNrforlife]

This can't be true. They probably just smelled the mouthwash that he used that morning. Most mouthwash products do contain alcohol.......

:huh: :huh: :huh:

 

[Bagbelt]

Your body gets rid of alcohol through your lungs. He may not have had a drink in 8-10 hours and still fail a breathalyzer.

 

[Ch. 12]

Your body gets rid of alcohol through your lungs. He may not have had a drink in 8-10 hours and still fail a breathalyzer.

...says hundreds of drunk drivers each night when they fail their breathalyzers. Maybe we should do away with them if they are in no way indicative of alcohol in the system.

 

[jimntx]

Your body gets rid of alcohol through your lungs. He may not have had a drink in 8-10 hours and still fail a breathalyzer.

Actually, the body rids itself of alcohol by breaking it down in the liver (into water and sugar mostly). The problem for most drunks is that the liver oxidizes alcohol at a constant rate regardless of the amount of alcohol in the system. Coffee does not sober up a drunk. It just creates a wide-awake drunk.

 

[Bizman]

Obviously a trumped up charge. You can't get alcohol in Utah on a Sunday morning.

That doesn't mean he didn't bring it with him. This will most likely prompt a review of Southwest's 1-2-3 Rule.

 

[magsau]

If the TSA smelled it, and he failed the breathalyzer, I wonder what observations his crew had of him? Sad when someone needs a drink so badly they will endanger the lives of their customers. I am sure the EAP will step in and rehabilitate him at some significant cost to the comapany.

Makes you wonder if SWA is facilitating bad behavior with the hotel contracts aligned around drink discounts for crews. Their culpability in this can not be overlooked.

 

[KCFlyer]

If the TSA smelled it, and he failed the breathalyzer, I wonder what observations his crew had of him? Sad when someone needs a drink so badly they will endanger the lives of their customers. I am sure the EAP will step in and rehabilitate him at some significant cost to the comapany.

Makes you wonder if SWA is facilitating bad behavior with the hotel contracts aligned around drink discounts for crews. Their culpability in this can not be overlooked.

Absolutely...make no mistake..the actions of this pilot speak for all the pilots at Southwest...right mags? I would wonder about the airline who employs a pilot who harbors such a hatred for a comptetior that it might endager the lives of their customers...

 

[magsau]

Absolutely...make no mistake..the actions of this pilot speak for all the pilots at Southwest...right mags? I would wonder about the airline who employs a pilot who harbors such a hatred for a comptetior that it might endager the lives of their customers...

KC,

Could you please point to where in my post that I indicted ALL swa pilots? I do question the SWA policy of signing hotel contracts that have provisions for drink discounts as a requirement. Did I say ALL swa pilots are drunks? Nope. Just that SWA as a company may be aiding those with "issues". Legally speaking this liability may bite SWA the company in the tail section when the litigation from this incident makes it way to the courts.

"Your honor my client may be a drunk, but SWA practically forced him to drink on layovers. They gave hime discounts and we all know how cheap pilots are...."

This along with the other prominent media events at SWA do start to add up. Clothing optional flying, the bozo with the web blog with pics from sterile cockpit and the other very much discussed events do paint a canyon blue picture of problems. Also, I forgot to mention the thievery by the mechanic and the discrimination lawsuit that SWA lost this year.

 

[Bagbelt]

I realise the liver does the job. But your body only handles so much. That's why you can smell it pouring out of someone even if they were drinking yesterday. I can't speak for Wn, but our eap only pays for you if you volunteer before you get into trouble. It was a different world 15-20 years ago, any pilot who goes out and gets wasted on a layover now is out of his mind.

 

[QA4Jet-A]

I realise the liver does the job. But your body only handles so much. That's why you can smell it pouring out of someone even if they were drinking yesterday. I can't speak for Wn, but our eap only pays for you if you volunteer before you get into trouble. It was a different world 15-20 years ago, any pilot who goes out and gets wasted on a layover now is out of his mind.

Point to remember, he Failed the Breath test twice. It's one thing to fail that and another to sweat out Alcohol odors the next day. As for the comment about Hotel's giving Drink Discounts, every Hotel I go to that does so applies them to ALL Carriers. That was a cheap shot IMO. Also, most Hotel Vans will take any crew to a local store to purchase Beverages. Let's stop this where it is. The guy got caught. Let's not make this a Slam or Flame on WN or any other Carrier. May we all learn from this to be a tad more aware if in the position. JMHO