I'll save judgement until the story's more than a few hours old... And just say be careful out there:
Feds Monitoring Thousands Of Alcohol & Drug Abusing Pilots
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Chris Halsne
KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Investigative Reporter
Posted: 2:30 pm PDT October 29, 2010
Updated: 8:38 am PDT November 2, 2010
KIRO Team 7 Investigators have identified at least 2,000 certified pilots currently being monitored by federal regulators for abusing alcohol or drugs.
And that's just a fraction of those caught.
Using the Freedom of Information Act, Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne obtained an enforcement database maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration. The never-before-released list names professional aviators in trouble for alcohol, drugs, or lying on medical applications about substance abuse. Most continue to fly passenger and cargo jets, commercial planes, helicopters, private planes, and give lessons as flight instructors.
We begin by taking a close look at the FAA’s system that is suppose to target pilots nailed for drunk driving.
Joseph Blanchette's resume carries a long, proud history of flying; The U.S. Navy, Kitty Hawk Cargo, Harbor Airlines and co-piloting passenger jets for Alaska Air.
Unfortunately, his history of over-consuming alcohol is well documented too.
In 1996, he was booted from an Alaska Airlines cockpit after showing up to work with elevated levels of alcohol in his blood (according to Blanchette’s own deposition, he blew a .03).
In 2007 and 2008, Court records reviewed by Team 7 Investigators show Blanchette was arrested three times for DUI. He pled guilty to one and struck deals on the others that included alcohol treatment programs. Blanchette declined to speak with us about his troubles.
Halsne: "We're profiling a number of pilots. You're one of them."
Blanchette: "No. No I don't want this on TV. That's not right coming on my property and then start-"
Halsne: "OK. We're going to leave."
Blanchette: "You don't have a right to present that to anybody. I don't want my picture on television."
The Federal Aviation Administration gave Blanchette "a warning notice" last year for one of his DUI arrests, but left his pilot's license intact. So, while he couldn't drive his car without first blowing into an ignition interlock device, he could legally get in a cockpit and fly a passenger jet.
KIRO Team 7 Investigators reviewed this FAA computer database naming thousands of certified pilots with drunk driving or drug convictions in the past five years. U.S. Airways, Delta, Hawaiian, Continental, United, American, Frontier, all have pilots listed as having been sanctioned for alcohol or drug abuse.
Aviation law expert, Marjorie Tedrick, represents professional pilots caught drunk driving. She told Halsne, “There's a huge number of airline pilots and a huge number of airline pilots with DUI arrests. I'm not surprised by that.”
Her advice to clients: self disclose the DUI conviction right away- the FAA usually gives pilots one free pass without sanctions.
“There is a correlation between the amount of drinking they do off the job and whether or not they are going to be caught flying with alcohol in their bloodstream - absolutely. And if one way to monitor that and catch it is with DUI's, then that’s a good thing the FAA is doing and they do need to enforce that.”
The FAA's active watch list contains 32 Washington-based pilots, but remember, those are just the ones either caught in repeated alcohol related trouble - or caught trying to hide their convictions.
Team 7 Investigators computer cross-matched our state's DUI convictions database with flight certifications- and found HUNDREDS MORE licensed pilots from this state with convictions in the past five years. That seems to confirm Tedrick’s claim that the FAA gives pilots a break for their first drunk driving incident.
Empire Airlines pilot, Stuart John Billey qualifies as a one-timer. He currently flies Cessna Caravan's for FedEx. Court records show in 2008 he was arrested for DUI, pleaded to a deferred prosecution, and remains on probation. The FAA doesn't appear to have sanctioned Billey even though as part of that plea deal, he had to submit to alcohol treatment.
Billey: "I don't have any comment. I have to go through my company."
Halsne: "You don't have any comment? Did you tell the FAA. Did they take some action?"
Billey. "Uh, yeah I went through the procee-. You'll have to talk to my company. I can't comment on it."
The FAA list also includes hundreds engine and airframe mechanics who work at places like Boeing -- and at Sea-Tac Airport maintaining jets. Federal laws don’t require the FAA to directly monitor alcohol or drug abusing mechanics, but does require employers to do so.
The FAA refused our repeated requests for an on-camera interview. Halsne offered to fly anywhere in the country to get it done. We were told it wasn’t possible despite that agency employing 21 media specialists at a cost to taxpayers of $2.5 million a year.
We’re just starting on this topic. Don't forget to joins us for DUI Pilots: Warning Signs Ignored. Team 7 Investigators uncover some very real - deadly consequences of FAA mistakes. Errors in their alcohol watch program are now under investigation by another federal agency.
