AWA pilots found guilty

[nptguy]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050608/ap_on_re_us/drunken_pilots_4

 

[FracCapt]

There's an even bigger issue here than the two of them flying drunk....

The pilots had 14 beers between them at a bar the night before the flight, closing out their $122 tab at about 4:40 a.m. — roughly six hours before their flight was to depart.

That's an average of over $8.70 per beer! I hope they meant 14 PITCHERS of beer!

Seriously, though...it goes on to say they both blew over .08 6 hours later. If I remember correctly, the average mans body can filter out the alcohol from about one beer(12oz) worth per hour. If that were the case, they would not have been over .08. They must have drank either 14 pitchers or they were drinking pirate beers.

 

[TrafficInSight]

There's an even bigger issue here than the two of them flying drunk....



That's an average of over $8.70 per beer! I hope they meant 14 PITCHERS of beer!

Seriously, though...it goes on to say they both blew over .08 6 hours later. If I remember correctly, the average mans body can filter out the alcohol from about one beer(12oz) worth per hour. If that were the case, they would not have been over .08. They must have drank either 14 pitchers or they were drinking pirate beers.

could have been 14 beers each for a cost of $4.36 per which sounds a little more plausible and could also explain the .08 six hours later

 

[FracCapt]

could have been 14 beers each for a cost of $4.36 per which sounds a little more plausible and could also explain the .08 six hours later

Only if they've got untrained sissy livers! Conditioning, conditioning, conditioning!

My liver has been bad, and must be punished!

 

[VampyreGTX]

I remember reading somewhere that the pilots said they had paid for the drinks of all the people that were with them.

 

[wrxpilot]

could have been 14 beers each for a cost of $4.36 per which sounds a little more plausible and could also explain the .08 six hours later

Impressive... I haven't been able to drink like that since I was 17.

 

[Bob Runday]

The bar tab is irrelevant. They could have ordered $80 of Coke and 2 beers. The BAC is what really matters.

Now thanks to them, now the rest of us have to contend with all the passengers asking, "you guys aren't drunk today, are ya??" everytime we get on the aircraft.

ha ha ha. (yeah, real funny, for the 1000th time.)

 

[Big Duke Six]

Just another case of the value of a well-timed sick call.

 

[Resume Writer]

Let me just say this is a sad day for all - their families, friends, and fellow pilots that are now going to be "convicted" every time a passenger makes a stupid comment.


What ensued after this incident in 2002 were the typical stupid passenger comments about whether pilots had been drinking. This was usually done in front of other passengers, to which the crews would immediately demand a test.

Let me also say that I know both of these pilots - mainly the Captain. What they did was reckless and stupid. When I looked at the original time they began drinking and their report time, they had no business in that bar at all. AWA follows a 12-hour rule, which is more strict than the FAA 8-hour rule. However, they were (are) still my friends.

Here is the strange thing. I flew with the Captain for many months in a row. We were in Wichita, with 18 hour layovers, and not ONCE did he go out with us. I have known him for several years. We were both going through our divorces at the same time. He was a good pilot; always backed us up with problem passengers. I am sad to see him make such a poor judgment call.

When I heard about the incident, I was sitting at a Diamondbacks baseball game. Another Captain told me what had happened, however, he could not remember the people involved. To be quite frank, these two never entered my mind.

I am not sure what lessons can be learned from this incident, except that safety of passengers is the number one priority. I know I never violated the 12-hour rule. I would watch the clock like a hawk, always stopping immediately at the appointed time. It is a shame that these two pilots ruined their careers for a "night on the town."

Kathy

 

[Big Duke Six]

Indeed Kathy, a lesson for us all. I would hazard a guess here and say almost all of us have "been there, been close to doing that". Sometimes those occasions come up where your judgement is tested, and I suppose at some point you are unable to make the right call. Awareness of this trap is a good thing for everyone...

When thought of that way, the events that led up to this on that fateful day can be seen as a series of unfortunate events. We are all sad for them in a way, because we can relate to some degree. And, just like in many accidents, it would not have taken much to break the chain of events that day. But during the trial, the lack of integrity they showed by allowing this circus in court just floors me. Is there no honor?