Pilot Accused Of Drinking, Replaced On Port Columbus Flight
Wednesday, January 7, 2009 5:52 PM
Updated: Thursday, January 8, 2009 12:07 AM
Print Story
E-mail Story
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident Tuesday at Port Columbus in which two passengers accused a Southwest Airlines pilot of having been drinking. According to a report by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority police, the passengers approached the pilot shortly before an afternoon flight, saying he "smelled and looked drunk," 10TV's Kurt Ludlow reported.
The accused pilot, now on paid leave, isn't being identified because he wasn't arrested and no charges have been filed.
Andy Maisner of Los Angeles was in Columbus on business preparing to board a flight to St. Louis. Maisner told 10TV News the pilot appeared intoxicated while passing through a security checkpoint.
"As we went through security, we told the TSA guy, 'Hey, that pilot smells like he's reeking of alcohol. He ought to be checked out,'" Maisner said.
Maisner and business colleague Chan Mahon followed the pilot down Concourse A and became alarmed when they mistakenly thought he was heading to the gate where their flight was about to begin boarding.
"So we went up, and Chan said to the pilot, 'Hey, you just reek of alcohol, and if you've got a drinking problem, you shouldn't be flying this plane.'
"The guy just took off running. He didn't say, 'I haven't been drinking.' He just turned beet red and took off," Maisner said.
Airport police found the Chicago-based pilot in a nearby restroom, where he had removed his uniform jacket and hat, the report said.
The pilot told police that he called in sick for his flight to Orlando, which was departing at the gate next to the St. Louis-bound flight. He denied that he had been drinking, but he did tell officers that he "partied hard (the night before) at the hotel," the report said.
Maisner told 10TV News he doubts the pilot's explanation.
"It's possible he was partying the night before, but it was 4 o'clock in the afternoon when he finally came down," Maisner said. "I don't know. I don't buy it."
A new pilot assumed flight duties and the flight to Orlando took off on time.
Southwest Airlines officials told airport police that the pilot would be given a blood-alcohol test. No results were immediately available.
FAA regulations stipulate that no one can pilot an aircraft within eight hours of consuming alcohol or with a blood-alcohol content of 0.04 or higher.
The incident remains under investigation by Southwest Airlines and the FAA.
Similar Threads
SWA Pilot suspected of drinking -CMH
Such ridiculous reporting.
Linear Mode
