Judge, Jury and Executioner.

[SWA GUY]

Alcohol Report Grounds SkyWest Jet Pilot

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A SkyWest Airlines captain was grounded in Sioux Falls on Wednesday after an airport security officer reported he smelled of alcohol.
Airline officials called the pilot from the cockpit of Flight 4047 about 15 minutes before the flight was scheduled to take off at approximately 9 a.m. from Sioux Falls to Salt Lake City.
Police took a blood sample from the pilot, who was not arrested, pending the outcome. SkyWest placed the Salt Lake City-based pilot on administrative leave.
Federal Aviation Administration regulations require the grounding of pilots whose blood-alcohol readings are 0.04 percent or greater. SkyWest's blood-alcohol standard is 0.019.
"Our first concern has to be, and has always been, the safety of our passengers and our crew members," SkyWest spokeswoman Sabrena Suite-Mangum said Thursday. "With that, we have a zero-tolerance policy for violation of safety protocol."
Suite-Mangum declined to identify the pilot, but said he was scheduled to fly a CRJ200 regional jet with 50 seats, and has no criminal record.
Sioux Falls Police Chief Doug Barthel said the FBI is investigating the incident. Investigators will decide whether to arrest the pilot after they see the results of his blood test, the chief said.
Paul McCabe, an agent in the FBI's office in Minneapolis, confirmed the investigation but declined further comment.
Barthel said pilots go through the same security procedures passengers experience.
It was then when a Transportation Security Administration officer noticed him.
''We then made contact with the pilot on the plane and determined that he had been consuming some alcohol. At that point he was removed from the plane,'' Barthel said.
After a three-hour delay, the jet with 21 passengers aboard took off for Salt Lake City with another captain at the controls.
Talk that the SkyWest pilot was asked to leave the cockpit didn't stop Colorado-bound passenger Lana Boer from getting on her flight.
'It kind of makes you nervous,'' Boer said. ''But then if you think about that, you're just going to stress yourself out, and I would be paranoid and never leave the ground.''
Todd Barber, who was traveling from Pasadena, Calif., said, ''There was a little frustration, but I'm not going to let it tarnish what was a beautiful vacation in your wonderful state.''
Mike Kranz planned to be on the Salt Lake City flight en route to Missoula, Mont., for a South Dakota State University football game. He said he was disappointed with the delay but also relieved.
''It's a good thing they got him before he got on the plane and flew us somewhere,'' Kranz said.




Nice job Kranz you tool! You've convicted this guy before he's had his day in court (if it even gets there). This is akin to arresting Kranz on the idea that Kranz may have wanted to blow up the jet once it got airborne.

 

[Erlanger]

bump!

 

[sqwkvfr]

Are you serious? You're upset over something that a person who a reporter just pulled off the street said to the press?

Grow up, man. Kranz isn't the problem here. Blame the reporter or media outlet....or,

you could; just could.....



...blame the bloke who showed up to fly an airliner with booze on his breath.

 

[Burt Reynolds]

Update...maybe he wasn't drunk after all.

FAA begins SkyWest pilot alcohol probe
By Paul Beebe
The Salt Lake Tribune

The Federal Aviation Administration has launched a separate investigation of a SkyWest Airlines captain who was called from the cockpit of his jetliner in Sioux Falls, S.D., last week after an airport security officer reported he smelled of alcohol.

The probe, which is separate from one started by the FBI, could result in the pilot losing his license to fly, FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said Tuesday.

"We have an open investigation, and we are currently awaiting more information from SkyWest, including a Breathalyzer analysis and some other information," Cory said.

The FBI began its investigation shortly after SkyWest officials summoned the captain from the CRJ 200 regional jet last Wednesday, a few minutes before the flight with 21 passengers was scheduled to take off for Salt Lake City at around 9 a.m.

Police also took a blood sample from the captain. He wasn't arrested or charged, pending the outcome of the tests.

The FAA has set a blood alcohol standard of 0.04 percent for determining when pilots and other crew members are under the influence of alcohol. SkyWest's standard is 0.019.

SkyWest spokeswoman Sabrena Suite-Mangum said the captain has been suspended and "his status is currently under review."

She said the St. George-based airline will not forward the captain's Breathalyzer results to the FAA because they did not exceed the agency's blood alcohol standard. She said she did not know what the Breathalyzer showed.

Mark Salter, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Sioux Falls, said no decision has been made to file charges against the captain. He refused to say if the blood test examination has been completed.

The captain was going through security when a Transportation Security Administration officer smelled alcohol on his breath.

 

[AWACoff]

Interesting...so if the red bold print is true, the pilot had a BAC of less than .004. That could still be over the Skywest limit of .002 but it's not like the guy was hammered. Ya know, it just isn't worth it to have extra super fun on an overnight. A couple of beers is okay but when the flight attendant announces everyone is doing "shots", it is probably a good idea to call it a night.

 

[mckpickle]

Is this the same guy as last week or did another "fly 70 seaters for 50 seat prices" guy just step on his pecker?

 

[SWA GUY]

Are you serious? You're upset over something that a person who a reporter just pulled off the street said to the press?

-Read the article nutball, the guy was on the flight.

Grow up, man. Kranz isn't the problem here. Blame the reporter or media outlet....or,

-I'm blaming Kranz for being an idiot. Why not blame him?

you could; just could.....



...blame the bloke who showed up to fly an airliner with booze on his breath.[/quote]- Just an accusation, no fact has been found yet.

 

[bmpilot2003]

Are you serious? You're upset over something that a person who a reporter just pulled off the street said to the press?

-Read the article nutball, the guy was on the flight.

Grow up, man. Kranz isn't the problem here. Blame the reporter or media outlet....or,

-I'm blaming Kranz for being an idiot. Why not blame him?

you could; just could.....



...blame the bloke who showed up to fly an airliner with booze on his breath.[/quote]- Just an accusation, no fact has been found yet.

The pilot has been fired from skywest.

 

[SWA GUY]

Management's hands are tied on this descision. They have to fire the pilot pending the outcome of the investigation. My point was that there has been NO outcome yet, and that Kranz has him convicted in his own mind already.

This really isn't so hard to understand is it?

 

[siucavflight]

The pilot has been fired from skywest.

Why was he fired? He did not violate any company policy, what makes the TSA agent who they hired off of the streets of the south side of Chicago last week qualified to make this kind of accusation?

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

The pilot has been fired from skywest.

Can't he use his union repsresentation to do some damage control or maybe even save his job....


oopps... wait a min.....





















I know, I know.. it would never happen to you......





























until it is you... then what?

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Mr. Captain got too comfortable.


FYI - Chocolate and peanut butter works.


Carry a box of Reeses Pieces.


Breathalyzers are sold as keychains - and found in pilot supply magazines.

 

[Comrade Duck]

He might not of exceeded the FAA standard of .04, but he did exceed the company policy of showing up to work with a blood alcohol level greater than
.019. That's why he got fired.

Is that what a union does for you? It protects guys who aren't smart enough to protect themselve? Nobody is to blame for this guy losing his job except for him. He is the one that screwed up, not the passengers, not the reporters, but him. It's a hard lesson learned.

 

[Bluto]

Spoken with the wisdom of one who has no practical experience, but a 99% on his ATP written. Keep those gems of wisdom coming there Mr. Rake.

 

[siucavflight]

Is that what a union does for you? It protects guys who aren't smart enough to protect themselve?

No, a union protects you and your family from over zealous management who will impose rules or fire you for no justifiable reason.

 

[Dave Benjamin]

Can't he use his union repsresentation to do some damage control or maybe even save his job....

No union would be able to save a pilot's job that blew a BAC in excess of what's published in the FOM as a limitation. Nor should they even try. This stuff is pretty cut and dry.

Nobody forces anyone to drink on an overnight. It's all about personal responsibility. Noone belongs in the cockpit if they're impaired. It's a shame he didn't get into a rehab program before it came to this. Most airlines have HIMS or a similar program.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Spoken with the wisdom of one who has no practical experience, but a 99% on his ATP written. Keep those gems of wisdom coming there Mr. Rake.

Hey dummy-

Go buy some wisdom (see if they have it in a sense of humor flavor) and read between the lines.

Here ya go.

Mr. Captain got too comfortable.


FYI - Chocolate and peanut butter works.


Carry a box of Reeses Pieces.


Breathalyzers are sold as keychains - and found in pilot supply magazines.

Oh, and I hope I didn't confuse you Bluto.

(casue I bet you're really confused.)





.

 

[Comrade Duck]

No, a union protects you and your family from over zealous management who will impose rules or fire you for no justifiable reason.

How does that relate to what happened in this case?

 

[siucavflight]

How does that relate to what happened in this case?

How does it not, management fired him, we dont know why, and even if he was innocent who would have fought for him?

 

[Comrade Duck]

How does it not, management fired him, we dont know why, and even if he was innocent who would have fought for him?

If you don't know why he was fired, then why even argue "even if he was innocent"?

We know why he got fired. If he was innocent he wouldn't need anyone to fight for him.

 

[siucavflight]

We know why he got fired. If he was innocent he wouldn't need anyone to fight for him.

Thats just it, when you are innocent is the time that you need to have someone fighting hard for you.

 

[Comrade Duck]

Thats just it, when you are innocent is the time that you need to have someone fighting hard for you.

If he was innocent he wouldn't have shown up to work with alcohol in his system. He wouldn't be in this situation, therefore wouln't be in need of anyone fighting for him. He would still have a job and a career.

It sucks that he has lost his job, but like I said he has only himself to blame. This all could have been avoided by his own actions. No union necessary.

 

[siucavflight]

If he was innocent he wouldn't have shown up to work with alcohol in his system. He wouldn't be in this situation, therefore wouln't be in need of anyone fighting for him. He would still have a job and a career.

It sucks that he has lost his job, but like I said he has only himself to blame. This all could have been avoided by his own actions. No union necessary.

Yeah, you are right, unions are over rated.

 

[sqwkvfr]

-Read the article nutball, the guy was on the flight.

He's still some uninformed idiot that some reporter just pulled out of the bag for an interview.

Do you ever watch the local news??? Do you ever wonder what sort of a twit one must be to be the one that agrees to go on camera after a triple homicide just down the street and say "That's awful....this is such a quiet neighborhood...I can't remember anything like this happening here before."

Beside, what does "Kranz's" opinion have to do with how this incident will eventually be resolved? Is he a judge? Is he a cop? Does he work for the FAA?

WHO CARES IF SOME IDIOT OFF THE STREET DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT???

 

[GogglesPisano]

"Anchorman" with Will Ferell pretty much sums up local news.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Not sure if many of you have sat across the table from mangement during a hearing. They are not intrested in justice, fairness or adherance to policy. There are intrested in making problems go away.

For all of you that think a union is not applicable in this situation... think again. Even if the guy is simply gulity, you want his termination to go properly? Why? cause if managment can fire the guy with no union process what do you think they will try and do when they try to fire you.

Not sure why pilots don't want representation.

 

[NuGuy]

"Anchorman" with Will Ferell pretty much sums up local news.

These days, one could only hope they hit that kind of standard. Where I live, they fall far short of that mark.

Nu

 

[Terry Hunter]

Even the airlines with HIMS programs (to assist flight crews with substance abuse to get help while keeping their job, and with the help of the FAA) can't prevent someone from getting terminated for reporting to duty under the influence. Most programs do allow for the cut-off of getting pulled from the flight deck as the start of the before-start checklist, or some other similar time point of a flight.

But anyway, I'm not going to say this guy has a drinking problem; that's up to him through an evaluation. However, it aint called a drinking problem unless it's causing problems - and that is exactly what the addiction will do - make itself more important for him to drink irregardless of rules, relationships, future aspirations, etc. Fortunately, HIMS programs continue to help many, and have saved about 3500 jobs out there.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Even the airlines with HIMS programs (to assist flight crews with substance abuse to get help while keeping their job, and with the help of the FAA) can't prevent someone from getting terminated for reporting to duty under the influence. Most programs do allow for the cut-off of getting pulled from the flight deck as the start of the before-start checklist, or some other similar time point of a flight.

But anyway, I'm not going to say this guy has a drinking problem; that's up to him through an evaluation. However, it aint called a drinking problem unless it's causing problems - and that is exactly what the addiction will do - make itself more important for him to drink irregardless of rules, relationships, future aspirations, etc. Fortunately, HIMS programs continue to help many, and have saved about 3500 jobs out there.

HIMS programs are part of the union.....

 

[Terry Hunter]

HIMS programs are part of the union.....

You are absolutely right... and for the airlines without unions, or without HIMS, flight crews can turn to the lovely EAP... gulp.

Employee Assistance Program
SkyWest provides an employee assistance program at no cost to employees. The plan confidentially assists you and your family members in overcoming problems that may effect you at work or home, such as drug or alcohol dependency, marital difficulties, financial counseling or psychiatric care. Employees can also take advantage of life skills workshops such as money management and dealing with stress.