Posted on 01/27/2003 6:21:46 PM PST by HAL9000
Early Monday morning several screeners smelled alcohol on the breath of an American Airlines pilot scheduled for a flight to Saint Louis.According to the police report, an officer noted the pilots eyes were bloodshot and glassy and that he had eaten a large amount of breath mints.
Authorities conducted a Breathalyzer that showed the pilot had a blood alcohol concentration of point-zero-zero-four. FAA regulations bar pilots from operating an aircraft within 8-hours of consuming alcohol, or if they have a blood alcohol concentration of point-oh-four.
American Airlines policy is even stricter. Their pilots are not permitted to fly if it's above point-oh-two.
The pilot has not been charged with anything. He was flown back to his base in Saint Louis.
The Federal Aviation Administration says it will look into this matter. American Airlines says they gave the pilot a Breathalyzer test when he returned to Saint Louis and at this time, no disciplinary actions will be taken against him.
Or coming off an awful drunk.
American Airlines Pilot Grounded at LR National
Monday January 27, 2003 4:41pm
Little Rock - An American Airlines captain was grounded early Monday morning because airport officials felt he was unfit to fly. The flight was scheduled to leave Little Rock and head to St. Louis.
The flight wasn't cancelled because of weather or mechanical problems; instead authorities say there was a problem with one of the pilots.
It's a job federal screeners are hired to do, they must check each person for explosives or weapons, but Monday, they detected something else.
A Transportation Security Administration screener smelled alcohol on a pilot's breath. According to police reports, even the pilot's use of Altoids couldn't hide the smell of alcohol.
The American Airlines flight scheduled to head to St. Louis was cancelled and the pilot was then taken into custody.
"He shouldn't be flying. End of story. If he's flying he should be sober as a judge, I'm sober he should be sober."
Police say the pilot tested a blood alcohol level of 0.004, well under the legal limit for pilots. The FAA considers a person intoxicated if he or she has a blood alcohol level of 0.04. For those driving a vehicle, a blood alcohol level of 0.08 is considered legally drunk.
The pilot got on the next flight to St. Louis but traveled as a passenger.
"It doesn't make me feel very good. If they got him off then I guess it's not a very big deal as long as they caught it."
No charges were filed against the pilot. A spokesperson from American Airlines says the pilot will start flying again in the near future.
Copyright 2003 KATV, Inc.
Sounds like he may be former TWA. American has been busy shedding a bunch of its ex-TWA employees, and they didn't let this guy fly, even though he passed the test.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.