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'Drunk' pilot taken from plane

by Paul Conneally | October 20, 2008 at 12:28 am

488 views | 12 Recommendations | 6 comments

Moments before take-off a pilot is taken from his cockpit and marched away by police to be breathalysed.

Passengers watch on clutching their duty-free goods a little closer.

From Heathrow to San Francisco is long way.

the leaf blower
finally falls silent
a starling sky

A United Airlines pilot was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport on suspicion of being over the legal alcohol limit, police confirmed on Monday.

The airline said the pilot, 44, was removed from service, adding that it would co-operate with police inquiries and was conducting its own investigation of the incident.

"At approximately 9:00 am on Sunday, officers attended an aircraft at Heathrow Terminal One and arrested a 44-year-old man," a Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said.

She said the man, who was not identified, had been bailed to return to Heathrow police station on January 16.

A pilot suspected of being drunk was arrested on board a passenger jet at London's Heathrow's airport moments before he was due to fly hundreds of people to San Francisco, police confirmed today.

The 44-year-old was breath-tested then escorted off the waiting plane by officers at terminal one at 9am yesterday.

The first officer for United Airlines was arrested after a tip-off from ground staff, according to the Sun newspaper. He has been bailed to return to Heathrow police station on January 16.

A police source said the man had been arrested on suspicion of "performing an aviation function whilst exceeding the prescribed alcohol limit".

The legal limit for pilots is nine micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. This is almost four times stricter than the drink-drive limit of 35mcg in 100ml of breath.

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Dave Keating

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 04:23 on October 20th, 2008

LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff.

master_jim2008

at 04:31 on October 20th, 2008

let me see if I get this right, or you may want to re-write it to make it more clear......the pilot was carted off to the police station to be breathalyzed but the co-pilot was breathalyzed while still on the plane?? So was it the co-pilot who has to return in January or the pilot?

I'd be happy to GS this piece after I understand it correctly

Paul Conneally

at 04:47 on October 20th, 2008

Hi MJ - the Metro reporting was confusing - I've replaced the highlighted text with text from AP and the Guardian - I think it's clearer - the Metro story could have been read as two pilots being breathalysed - only one pilot was arrested - the first officer - taken from the cockpit by Metropolitan police.

Paul Conneally

at 04:48 on October 20th, 2008

CJaye

at 04:54 on October 20th, 2008

Is there a legal alcohol limit for a pilot in the UK ? There isn't in the US They aren't allow to fly if they have been drinking. There is Zero tolerence

Paul Conneally

at 04:58 on October 20th, 2008

The legal limit for pilots is nine micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. This is almost four times stricter than the drink-drive limit of 35mcg in 100ml of breath.

Effectively even the smallest drink would make a pilot over the limit.

I believe the not zero limit is set as ther are some other situations where alcohol in minute amounts can show up in the blood.

To me a zero limit would seem best perhaps.