SWA Pilot on paid leave pending alcohol investigation

[bubbers44]

Watch his breathalyzer test come back as all zero's for alcohol. Too many passengers and TSA types think turning in a pilot for smelling of alcohol makes them heros now days. Pilots have strict alcohol limits and if they are below these limits they are not guilty of anything. My airline is .02. .04 is over the limit by FAA standards. If he blows .00, which I am sure he did, is he guilty of something? I don't think so.

 

[get2flyin]

Watch his breathalyzer test come back as all zero's for alcohol. Too many passengers and TSA types think turning in a pilot for smelling of alcohol makes them heros now days. Pilots have strict alcohol limits and if they are below these limits they are not guilty of anything. My airline is .02. .04 is over the limit by FAA standards. If he blows .00, which I am sure he did, is he guilty of something? I don't think so.

I'm the first one to back a pilot who gets accused of misappropriate deeds by passengers..and especially by TSA...but come on. He ran away and changed his uniform in the bathroom. I'd like to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, but he has exhibited some REALLY bad judgment so far. Guess we all just wait for the breathalyzer.

 

[BrokenWing]

I was simply saying our fellow aviator did GOOD by not getting on the airplane as a working crewmember.

There is some speculation/evidence that he called in sick from the hotel and was commuting home. Since we carry toothpaste etc in our bags he was in uniform simply to clear security.

Don't know but I would hope I wouldn't get on the jet and I would hope I had the whits to keep my mouth shut.

Gup

Except the police report says the pilot (CA) called in sick from the bathroom.

 

[McNugget]

Get help! Fat, Drunk, and Stupid is no way to go through life, son.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

Get the dude some HIMS...

 

[satpak77]

I doubt anything will happen, the police themselves wrote a report indicating he did not appear to be drunk or intoxicated

http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/01/heres-the-police-report-on-the.html

 

[ultrarunner]

So it would appear, according to the police report, that he was sent back to the hotel and never was administered a breathalyzer?

If that's the case, then case-closed. Even so, he may have lucked out. Out of uniform, had called in sick prior to being interviewed, was in a bathroom, etc...

It's clearly established he reeked of the previous nights binge, and as soon as he was caught, he acted pretty swiftly to mitigate the damage. It likely worked. He dogged on there, IMO.

 

[satpak77]

So it would appear, according to the police report, that he was sent back to the hotel and never was administered a breathalyzer?

If that's the case, then case-closed. Even so, he may have lucked out. Out of uniform, had called in sick prior to being interviewed, was in a bathroom, etc...

It's clearly established he reeked of the previous nights binge, and as soon as he was caught, he acted pretty swiftly to mitigate the damage. It likely worked. He dogged on there, IMO.

No breath test or blood drawn = impossible to determine BAC

Observation by police officer (NOT TSA) resulted in no indications of intoxication

called in sick before he touched the plane

the above will result in many more years of LUV

 

[Dude]

ultrarunner,

What was clear? The fact that NO charges were filed, he was observed to NOT appear to be intoxicated, that he was NOT arrested? Some tool decided to be a hero and jeapordized this dude's career and embarrassed him for nothing. If the pilot was drunk at ALL, he would have been arrested, charged, fired, but not allowed to return to the hotel on his own. This isn't the first time someone has made a false accusation. Charges and a lawsuit should be brought against everyone involved......if it is a crap accusation; which is what it looks like.

 

[Pervis]

Just curious. SWA does have an in house HIMS program, correct? I was wondering if there was guidance that would lead someone into a mandatory evaluation in situations like this. Along the lines of freind/family/collegue interventions?

As I have no more knowledge about this case as anyone else here, I don't know if that would apply. However, sometimes wakeup calls like this are gift. Not only does this program save careers, but more importantly, it saves lives and families.