Another Drunk Pilot Arrested?
 

Read in Atlanta Journal-Constitution that an AA pilot was arrested in Manchester, England on suspicion of being 'drunk'. He was apparently operating a MAN-ORD flight yesterday. Sorry, I could'nt find a link.

When will this ever stop?

This is off the PPRUNE site:

FOR RELEASE: Saturday, February 11, 2006




STATEMENT FROM AMERICAN AIRLINES REGARDING ARREST OF CREW MEMBER AT MANCHESTERAIRPORT


American Airlines has confirmed that a crew member for today’s (February 11, 2006) Manchester-Chicago scheduled service was arrested at a security checkpoint by Police at Manchester Airport following suspicions that he was under the influence of alcohol.

The crew member was a relief First Officer who on American Airlines’ flights provides back-up for the two pilots (Captain and First Officer) on sectors of over eight hours duration. He was taken into the custody of Manchester Police and is due to appear in court on Tuesday. An investigation into the circumstances of this event was immediately launched by the airline and no further details of the incident will be released until this is completed.

The flight departed from Manchester at 11:25 a.m. local time with a delay of fifty five minutes and it is planned to make an intermediate technical stop in New York to supplement the original crew. The flight’s arrival into Chicago will be delayed until approximately 3:49 p.m. local time, some two hours and fifty minutes late. American Airlines Flight 55 is operated by a Boeing 767-300 and today carried198 passengers and eleven flight crew.

American Airlines has apologised to all passengers for the inconvenience caused and has made alternative arrangements for those with connecting flights.

Our primary concern is for the safety and comfort of our passengers and crews. American Airlines has strict policies on alcohol and substance abuse and holds its employees to the highest standards. Employees at all levels of the company are not allowed to be on duty whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol and regular screening is carried out. Support is available for those employees who seek help for problems with substance abuse.

We hope that this isolated incident is not allowed to detract from the professionalism of American Airlines employees and the tens of thousands of professional aircrew worldwide.

Here's the BBC story:

Pilot arrested amid alcohol fears

The pilot was due to fly from Manchester to Chicago
A pilot was arrested on suspicion of being drunk shortly before his flight from Manchester Airport to Chicago was due to take off.
American Airlines said the 45-year-old pilot, from Ohio, had been arrested as he reported for duty at Manchester Airport on Saturday morning.

He was released on bail pending the results of tests and is to report to Greater Manchester Police on Tuesday.

The airline has begun an internal investigation into the arrest.

The flight left Manchester after a 55 minute delay, at 1125 GMT.

It was due to stop in New York to supplement the original crew.

American Airlines has strict policies on alcohol and substance abuse

Airline statement
The Boeing 767-300 was carrying 198 passengers and 11 crew.

The airline said in a statement: "An investigation into the circumstances of this event was immediately launched by the airline.

"American Airlines has apologised to all passengers for the inconvenience caused and has made alternative arrangements for those with connecting flights.

"Our primary concern is for the safety and comfort of our passengers and crews.

"American Airlines has strict policies on alcohol and substance abuse and holds its employees to the highest standards.

"Employees at all levels of the company are not allowed to be on duty whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol and regular screening is carried out."

for those of you who enjoy chatting up the TSA morons with the rubber gloves, think again. you think they just enjoy your company so much they want to pass the time of day with you? all they want to do is get close enough to smell your breath. i haven't spoken to them since i realized what they were doing.

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American Pilot Arrested In UK, Suspected Of Drinking
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February 12, 2006
An American Airlines pilot was arrested in Britain on Saturday on suspicion of being drunk before a scheduled flight to Chicago, the airline said.
Details: http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1139711208.html


After viewing several other web sites, it appears that the authorities in MAN have it in for pilots. Also must were found not guilty. Hope this is the case here.

Everytime a story like this comes out, Jay Leno will talk about it for weeks to come.

I don't understand at all why pilots who work so hard to get that illustrious major airline job flying overseas making a lot of money (a decent amount at least) only to drink and ruin it all. Why in the wolrd would any pilot NOT obey the 8 hour bottle to throttle rule? It makes no sense to me at all.

i still giggle when someone mentions america west.

remember when adam carolla and jimmy kimmel dressed up as pilots, went to an aiport, got wasted and talke dto a bunch of people at the bar, and then said "wellp, got a plane to fly" alllll on the man show


hilarious

Yeah, that was pretty funny

You can faithfully obey the 8-hr rule and STILL be legally intoxicated. It is a matter of professionalism, of moderation and of common sense. There are people out to get you, and you have to toe the line and not give them the satisfaction.

Having said that, alchoholism is a disease, and it is treatable. Poor sap; wish he had sought out help beforehand.

mtsupilot09:
I agree with you too, it makes no sense to the sensible person. I'm in the Air Force and something similar happened last year to a three-star general. He was the head attorney for the Air Force, the Judge Advocate General that is. He was having affairs with subordinate members of his staff for years, and it finally caught up to bite him in the a@$. He was forced to retire at a lesser pay grade, still not a bad retirement. Oh well, guess he still had some lead left in his pencil and couldn't resist the arm-candy secretary types. This drunk pilot probably left the local bar on his way to the airport after swooning the ladies with his "I'm a big jet pilot" story. So sad.

A few months ago, Delta had a guy who was nabbed in Frankfurt by security. The authorities ended up boarding the aircraft just prior to pushback, and removing the F/O. This, of course, made all of the newspapers.

As it turned out, the F/O in question was totally sober. The subsequent investigation showed that his only offense was giving a hard time to somebody at the security checkpoint. This, of course, didn't get as much media coverage.

I agree with you 757er about using common sense. And I know there are people who are out there to get pilots, it happens. It's very unfortunate that even though this industry is hurting right now, security guards on a power trip waste time investigating pilots like they're common criminals. Any time I'm ever flying commercially (as a passenger) I never make small talk, I just go through and that's that. Anyways, hope the pilot in Manchester gets cleared if he wasn't drunk but if he was I hope everything works out for him.

The TSA monkeys are actually trained to engage pilots in conversation to attempt to determine if there is anything suspicious about them...some TSA folks are just being friendly, but others are so obviously fake that I just glare at them and never say a word.

I actually got hassled in SLC once becuase my luggage was not ProPilot...got anal probed and the fifth degree...they had been trained that all flight crew use ProPilot (almost true). They kept coming back to the luggage issue, until I asked them what FAR required that I use a ProPilot rollaboard and and actually threatened to sue them. Then they got real polite.:mad:

Hell, if he doesn't want the job, I'll take it:D . I know I got my issues, but burnt child fears fire. I learned my lesson. I hope he learns his.;)

Why don't you all give the Pilot in question the benefit of the doubt? After all, we are all innocent until proven guilty, are we not?
This scenario happens to many pilots more than you all know and 99% of the time the pilots are completely innocent. Fortuately most of these instances never make it to press. It is ususally a case of "I got the badge sydrome" from some minimum wage TSA person with a chip on his/her shoulder, sometimes fueled by a Jet Lagged Pilot who is frustrated with the system.

Stop the Monday morning quarter backing and give a fellow aviator the benefit of doubt.

Dude, believe me...I'm not bashing the guy. As a matter fact, I hope it was just a misunderstanding and hope the AA continues to employ him. As for your comment, " we are all innocent until proven guilty, are we not?", I sure wish it was that way. Maybe I wouldn't be catching as much hell as I am trying to re-enter the aviation field. "See driving record thread under Regionals.":mad:

Keep in mind, nothing personal.

Dude..........my point is (as someone who just posted put it) There are many entities out to get us. This is true.....FAA, MGT's, TSA, local Flight Doc etc.

My point is why should we as pilots add our sleves to the "We are out to get you list"

Everyone give this guy a break.............he needs it!:(

RedeveAV8r: (Obviously, using dude was an inappropiate salutation);)

Out of anybody on these threads, I am the LAST ONE to try to be one of the "We are out to get you" guys. I was actually making light of my own situation. Trust me, my heart goes out to guy.

thank you.

I for one know all too well what it means to have something taken away from you when you have worked your a$$ off to get it.

Judging from the above post..........I didn't get the impression that
"your heart goes out to the guy".

But you seemd to have atoned :)

TSA, FAA, MGT etc.
 

I'm onboard guys. Personally, I don't mess with drinking on my trips for health reasons but also because I don't want to give the above mentioned a** holes any leverage to mess with me. I go to work stone sober and rested. If any of these guys accuse me of "smelling alcohol" or some B.S. like that my response is "I thought it was you. Let's bring your supervisor over and look into this." It's sad but these days you have to behave at work like you do at church.

Brown Dog

man is this gonna launch some fire!!!! first of all I hope it was a misunderstanding...I'm not sure on the sickness thing as I am not educated about the subject...but its kind of like the America West pilots....it was right after 9/11 that these two yahoos pulled this crap....Here I sit on furlough (still) and these two so called professionals are partying like the Kenndys...I took it as a slap in the face...Id give my left oblong to be back in the seat...So if this guy is guilty and he doesnt have a sickness..then I say give him the boot..no mercy...
ok boys, fire away!

Another Drunk Pilot Arrested?
 

ultradrvr:

Uh oh!!!:eek: Your a$$ is grass. Go get'em RedEyE;) :D .