Co-pilot arrested on alcohol charges

So he was not arrested...just removed from duty as per the FARs? If he was in fact arrested (as the article states), what is the basis of the charge? The FARs are clear.
 
So he was not arrested...just removed from duty as per the FARs? If he was in fact arrested (as the article states), what is the basis of the charge? The FARs are clear.

"Prosecutors have charged Carl Fulton, 41, with one count of operation of a common carrier under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines."

It doesn't mention FAR's. Rather it refers to a statute. (The statute is here.)
 
He will pay dearly for it, but in the end he walks if under .04. Whether he flies again anytime soon is another matter.
 
$1.00 for draft beer
$2.00 for mixed drinks
$3.00 for premium liquor

1-2-3

SWA has made the hotel honoring 1-2-3 part of their hotel contracts. I can also tell you that if you are staying at a hotel that SWA stays you can see 1-2-3 in action. (Notice that I did not infer any FAR violations in that statement.)

Quite a deal!! Wish I could get one like it :D

All things being equal, I don't anything wrong with it. As long as people stick to "bottle to throttle" rulew and use some coomon sense. If someone is going to break the rules, I don't see how saving a few bucks is going make a difference.
 
As for the comment about Hotel's giving Drink Discounts, every Hotel I go to that does so applies them to ALL Carriers.
Actually it doesn't apply to all carriers. WN negoitates with hotels to have $1.00 draft, $2.00 wine, and $3.00 Mixed drinks. The bar tender won't give the same discounts to other airlines. Most will get a little ticket along with there key which states, airline crews receive a 20% discount, EXCLUDING alcohol.

Some WN crews that I had talked to stated that it is frustrating to some of their pilots because they are having to travel further and further from the airport hotels to find ones who will give them the alcohol discount. That 40 minute van ride coupled with the 9 and a half hour layover doesn't give you much time to pound them down. Seem one pilot pushed the 8 hour rule a little to far. Thanks to the TSA we have one less idiot to worry about in the sky.
 
A couple random thoughts.

It's Time for captains to become Captains and first officers to become first OFFICERS. If the F/O shows up smelling of hooch, insist that he call in sick. If the Captain shows up smelling of booze tell him to call in sick, OR REFUSE to FLY. One of these instances is worse PR than 50 late departures or cancellations. The TSA is a bunch of losers with too much power. I warned people about this. Many in ALPA wanted the "Government" to handle security (read government union employees). My read was and still is that we'd get the same losers but this time we give them power and a badge. They haven't caught ONE terrorist yet, but they sure are doing a number on pilots. Now I've heard that Fed Ex pilots are getting inspected 100% of the time at the secondary screening point because they are on one way tickets. Ironically, some of these guys are packing weapons as part of the FFDO program.

If I were this guys lawyer, I'd be negotiating a deal with SWA. It's a tough sell to show a company with a wild turkey swilling CEO who requires his layover hotels offer cheap booze as anything but encouraging drinking on layovers.

The company would be wise to allow a certain number of "no harm no foul" calls for making the mistake of getting a little out of control on a layover. You should be allowed a call a year. any more, and they should recommend EAP. But the whole purpose of alchohol is to impair judgement (at least of the F/A's), so it is easy to see someone unintentionally getting hammered (ie intending to have a couple, but the waitress was hot and kept bringing Pitchers....). You've got to give the crewmembers an out other than taking the risk of strapping on a jet and trying to make it home.

Does UAL have the same problem? Nah, I haven't seen too many airport Motel 6's with bars. We do get hot Soda's from the machine for $1.50 though....

Be careful out there and watch each others back. You wouldn't let your buddy drive home drunk, why would you let him fly even slightly snookered, at the risk of his livelyhood (not to mention prison)?
 
If the F/O shows up smelling of hooch, insist that he call in sick.

The company would be wise to allow a certain number of "no harm no foul" calls for making the mistake of getting a little out of control on a layover.

On the SWAPA forum there was a Capt from another crew that rode in on the van with the F/O who was arrested. He said that he didn't smell any alcohol on his breath, nor did he see any signs of intoxication.

As for SWA having a "no harm no foul" program they do. If ANY employee at SWA believes that they have a problem with alcohol they can take advantage of this program. Of course even though the program is there you can't force a person to use it. I'm surprised that other airlines don't have such a program available to there employees.
 
On the SWAPA forum there was a Capt from another crew that rode in on the van with the F/O who was arrested. He said that he didn't smell any alcohol on his breath, nor did he see any signs of intoxication.

As for SWA having a "no harm no foul" program they do. If ANY employee at SWA believes that they have a problem with alcohol they can take advantage of this program. Of course even though the program is there you can't force a person to use it. I'm surprised that other airlines don't have such a program available to there employees.
Most do, it's called an EAP !
 
A couple random thoughts.

It's Time for captains to become Captains and first officers to become first OFFICERS. If the F/O shows up smelling of hooch, insist that he call in sick. If the Captain shows up smelling of booze tell him to call in sick, OR REFUSE to FLY. One of these instances is worse PR than 50 late departures or cancellations.
Excellent post Drvr
 
I agree that it was a great post.

A few years ago a HP captain believed that one of the FA's was reporting for a flight to PHX intoxicated. The captain tried, two or three times, to convince this person to call in sick or else he would take action. The FA refused. The captain took action, the flight was cancelled and the FA was reported to the company as the reason for the cancellation.

The captain absolutely did the right thing and tried to keep from having to take the ultimate action. But he did it after trying to convince the FA that a sick call would have been far easier for all concerned.
 
A couple random thoughts.

It's Time for captains to become Captains and first officers to become first OFFICERS. If the F/O shows up smelling of hooch, insist that he call in sick. If the Captain shows up smelling of booze tell him to call in sick, OR REFUSE to FLY. One of these instances is worse PR than 50 late departures or cancellations. The TSA is a bunch of losers with too much power. I warned people about this. Many in ALPA wanted the "Government" to handle security (read government union employees). My read was and still is that we'd get the same losers but this time we give them power and a badge. They haven't caught ONE terrorist yet, but they sure are doing a number on pilots. Now I've heard that Fed Ex pilots are getting inspected 100% of the time at the secondary screening point because they are on one way tickets. Ironically, some of these guys are packing weapons as part of the FFDO program.

If I were this guys lawyer, I'd be negotiating a deal with SWA. It's a tough sell to show a company with a wild turkey swilling CEO who requires his layover hotels offer cheap booze as anything but encouraging drinking on layovers.

The company would be wise to allow a certain number of "no harm no foul" calls for making the mistake of getting a little out of control on a layover. You should be allowed a call a year. any more, and they should recommend EAP. But the whole purpose of alchohol is to impair judgement (at least of the F/A's), so it is easy to see someone unintentionally getting hammered (ie intending to have a couple, but the waitress was hot and kept bringing Pitchers....). You've got to give the crewmembers an out other than taking the risk of strapping on a jet and trying to make it home.

Does UAL have the same problem? Nah, I haven't seen too many airport Motel 6's with bars. We do get hot Soda's from the machine for $1.50 though....

Be careful out there and watch each others back. You wouldn't let your buddy drive home drunk, why would you let him fly even slightly snookered, at the risk of his livelyhood (not to mention prison)?
 
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:



LOL, Why can it not be true??? Is this the very first SWA pilot that has ever had a drink before a flight?
 
Feds won't prosecute Southwest Airlines pilot

SALT LAKE CITY Federal prosecutors are dropping a criminal charge against a Southwest Airlines co-pilot who was removed from a plane in July after a security screener smelled alcohol.

A document filed in federal court in Salt Lake City says the case is being dismissed "in the interest of justice."

A spokeswoman for federal prosecutors says there wasn't enough evidence against 41-year-old Carl Fulton of Fort Worth, Texas.

Fulton had been charged with operating a common carrier under the influence of alcohol or drugs.


http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=5533316

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/15743923.htm
 

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