Another drunk airline pilot?

[Anaconda]

sitting here watching fox news they just had a news flash about a first officer arrested for being intoxicated today on a flight to or from ATL. the f/o works for and i quote "atlantic SOUTHWEST airlines, owned by delta". details sketchy at this point. gotta love the media...

 

[MetroSheriff]

Oh no....

 

[Dep676]

Hey Metro that's a cool avatar. Where did ya get that one?

 

[MetroSheriff]

Actually, I stumbled on it in a games forum for Medal of Honor (I am a MOHAA junky).

I think u can copy them right off the boards.

If not PM me and I will send it to you.

 

[FL000]

The latest FOX report said it was a "Delta pilot" who failed a breathalizer before a 6am flight from ILM to ATL. Looks like it's one of ours. Sad. Very sad.

They did however disclaim it by saying "a local TV station is reporting...". Let's hope there's some mitigating truth that hasn't been told yet.

 

[MetroSheriff]

I am watching FOX where r u guys seeing this

 

[Anaconda]

i have yet to see anything new on it since i wrote my original post...

metro, what's the MOH forum you are checking out?

 

[MetroSheriff]

The forums on www.alliedassault.com


Do you play???

 

[Anaconda]

nothing to be found in the wilmington paper either...

i've been playing frontline for ps2, but i miss the multi-player aspect of games like MOHAA...

 

[KingAirer]

Here is a link to the local new site. Small paragraph article.

http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?S=874117&nav=0zHRAMqK

happens to be my old hometown.

 

[MetroSheriff]

MOHAA is the best. Especially with all the new MP maps, it is getting even better. I guess the expansion pack is due out this fall. We'll see...

 

[TankerPuke]

Pilot fails breathalzyer test
By Channel 2 Action News

July 28, 2002 -- (Wilmington, North Carolina-AP) -- A television station is reporting that a Delta A.S.A pilot failed a breathalyzer test before boarding his scheduled flight from Wilmington to Atlanta Sunday morning.

Wilmington Airport Director, John Rosborough, confirmed the failed test this afternoon to reporters for WWAY in Wilmington.

The pilot's name has not been released.

The Federal Aviation Administration would not confirm the failed breathalyzer, but did say the agency is investigating an incident involving the plane's first officer.

F-A-A guidelines say that no crew member can have more than a point-zero-four blood alcohol level. Also, no crewmember can drink any alcohol within eight hours of duty.

The agency can revoke a pilot's license if they determine the alcohol regulations have been violated.

 

[uwochris]

TankerPuke,

You stated that the FAA' regs on drinking are a maximum of .04 on the breathalizer... however, when I was watching CNN (I believe) during the AW coverage, they stated the max was .08.

I'm just curious as to whether or not it is .08 or .04. .04 would make a heck of a lot more sense.

Thanks.

 

[Stingman]

Associated Press Article:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,58944,00.html

 

[Dep676]

Hey uwochris,

The legal limit for most states is .08 but the FAA's per the FAR's is .04. That is probably what they meant the state limit. You have to be careful when watching the news especially CNN. There are all these "aviation experts" out there that work for these news stations.

 

[KingAirer]

According to that article makes it sound like a CRJ, but i dont think ILM has 8 RJ flights a day. I think its made up of E120 mostly...I think this flight was an E120.

 

[Anaconda]

no, this one would have been a brasilia...8 flights today, 6 e-120's, one atr, last flight is an RJ

 

[rjcap]

Gentlemen,

While the FAA reg may be 8 hours and .04 % the ASA reg is 12 hours and 0.0 %. Zero Tolerance.

Considering the recent America West incident , these guys are done !!!!

 

[Boz]

Just what the airline industry needs another alcohol related incident involving a commercial airline pilot.

When are pilots going to get it? Makes me wonder!

VERY DISAPOINTING

 

[TankerPuke]

I am not totally sure what the FAA says (I believe .04 is correct), but what I printed was from Action News in Atlanta.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Gee, I've always wanted to work for a company that was fodder for Jay Leno monologues. Aren't I lucky?

IF this story is accurate, the guy needs to fry. There's no excuse for this.

 

[KingAirKiddo]

Ridiculous!

I agree...there is absolutely no excuse for this crap! If this story turns out to be accurate, then this guy needs to be made into an example and do some hard time. This is not what the f@#$ the industry needs right now, or ever.

Sorry, but this sort of thing really touches a nerve...off the soapbox now.

KingAirKiddo

 

[ILS JNKY]

boozing it up

keep boozing it up boys and you will make room for us older people who know how to conduct our selves,,,,,,,,,,,,,

any one know how old this pilot was ???

 

[AAflyer]

ILS JNKY,

Intresting you assume the ASA pilot is young. Why? As for the boys at AWA.The captain looked old enough to be my dad.

There is a very small minority that conducts themselves in that manor. Focus on building time, not taking the seniority number of a drunk pilot.

AAflyer

 

[rumpletumbler]

Most likely this kind of thing has been going on for a long time and now that someone in security got an atta boy the discovery of drunk pilots will be in the news for a while. As my favorite talk show host says, "If the folks in airport security got a job at the Cinnabon it would be a promotion." That doesn't mean it is ok to fly drunk. Sadly what it means is that there are Captains and FO's, FA's who regularly most likely smell alcohol on each others breath and don't say anything about it. "Good morning my union brother! I'll rally support around you by allowing you to endanger the lives of the crew and the passengers because I'm so awesome I really don't need you here anyhow" (insert snorting laugh with big toothy grin). "I be so bad!" Many people will this as security doing a better job but what is really happening is they are seeking some recognition and will get it because of the failure of flight crews to do the right thing to begin with. Don't just turn him in either. Kick his ass! If your up fairly high in something with a side window, kick his ass and then throw him out the window. "Good morning my union brother! I smell alcohol on your breath." BIP, BAP, PAAAAAATANG! THUMP!" and then call the police. That would make great news footage from the boarding area. "Ladies and gentleman if you will look through the glass behind me you will see what appears to be another drunk pilot (pan over and zoom in on guy getting his ass kicked and thrown out the cockpit and falling a couple stories to the ground) THUD! The crowd goes wild! Cheers! Suddenly someone starts "the wave" through B concourse. That's how it should go. Don't give the security screeners the victory, steal the ball and run for the touchdown!

RT

 

[FL000]

RT,

I think you could use a breathalizer right now.

 

[MetroSheriff]

FL000,

You beat me to it.

Rumple, you may want to edit that post a bit when the fog clears bud...it was a little difficult to follow.

 

[Typhoon1244]

ILS JNKY,

Careful. You're falling into the same trap that the Leno crowd is in, making assumptions about 1,500 people based on the activities of one. And as AAflyer already hinted at, you're not winning any friends in the Part 121 community with an attitude like that.

When you talk about ATP's with alcohol problems, you're talking about a very small minority. And as for the age of ASA's first officers, the one's I've flown with lately have been between twenty-three and fifty-five, with the average being about thirty-five. Believe it or not, not all the twenty-somethings were were booze-hounds, and not all the fifty-somethings were paragons of virtue.

As a thirty-year-old captain, I'm tired of hearing about how young pilots just can't be responsible. How many incident-free hours have you flown in a 53,000 pound fifty-seat turbojet, old-timer?

 

[ifly4food]

Some of you are making some pretty bold statements considering no official word or test results have been released.

Let's as pilots take the high road and (unlike the bloodthirsty and usually wrong news media) wait to see if this is really an incident after all.

When official test results are released and if he was drunk, then you can have your public hanging if you so desire. But it would be better to get help for this individual than to fire him to save your pride, don't you think. (Yes, I know the individual).

 

[rumpletumbler]

Its the massive amount of chlorine in the water I make my coffee with. I was just being silly but I guess what I'm seeing in all this isn't that there is a sudden rash of drunk pilots but that there probably will be a sudden rash of reporting them by security screeners. Why? Because the person who got the first two probably got a $20 gift certificate to the piggly wiggly and a job well done. Word got around etc. This would have never happened if flight crews would police themselves and not let anyone get on the a/c drunk, hungover, etc. Weed them out from within. No one with any brains believes that this is the first time those two (America West) or this guy with ASA (if it's true) ever flew drunk, hungover. If they were never allowed to do so (read if someone had the good sense/guts to stop them and turn them in) then those things could have been handled without all the massive publicity that these cases and the ones that follow will get. Publicity aside, stopping them, turning them in is the right thing to do but it is horrible that the only folks willing to do it are the screeners.

RT