Southwest Airline pilot arrested! Drunk in cockpit!!!

[sidesaddle]

Here is a a newspaper story on the incident:

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,640193806,00.html

 

[LarryinTN]

Blowing less than .04 doesn't mean that you're legal. They can still (try to) prove that you were intoxicated or that you had drank within 8 hours of flying. A test over .04 just makes it easier for them to prove guilt.

 

[PacoPollo]

Kudos for TSA. I dont blame them, They are doing there jobs.

 

[twepilot]

let me help...Them there TSA our duing them their jobz..

thanks,

RV

 

[Mr Wu]

Kudos for TSA. I dont blame them, They are doing their jobs.

No they were not. This is outside the scope of their job description.



Job Description: Transportation Security Screener duties include providing frontline security and protection of travelers, airports and airplanes by identifying dangerous objects in baggage and on passengers. They also are responsible for preventing those objects from being transported onto aircraft by utilizing diverse, cutting edge electronic detection and imaging equipment in a courteous and professional manner. Since airports are open 24-hours a day, the job may require working:

• Irregular hours and/or shifts
• Holidays and weekends
• Overtime and extended hours

 

[PacoPollo]

No they were not. This is outside the scope of their job description.

Job Description: Transportation Security Screener duties include providing frontline security and protection of travelers.....

They protected hundreds of innocent pax. by removing a cockpit crewmember under the influence of alcohol. You should see security at airports in my country. Im safe with TSA! That poor sob wont even get a job in Honduras with his record....

 

[sky37d]

Q: Say your on a over night your captain and you decide to go out to dinner and your captain shows up in a dress? What would you do?

I would say, well, I presume the captain in this case is a woman, so nothing needs to be said:beer:

 

[Mr Wu]

They protected hundreds of innocent pax. by removing a cockpit crewmember under the influence of alcohol. You should see security at airports in my country. Im safe with TSA! That poor sob wont even get a job in Honduras with his record....

If you are going to crop the quote, the proper way to do it is


Job Description: Transportation Security Screener duties include providing frontline security and protection of travelers..... by identifying dangerous objects in baggage and on passengers.

 

[MalteseX]

I would say, well, I presume the captain in this case is a woman, so nothing needs to be said:beer:

C"mon.... Have you EVER actually seen a woman airline captain wear a dress?

 

[Daveman]

Not until I get her alone at my place. imp:

Ya' but I'd Mc-dugal her with exta special sauce!
Eh Brah!

 

[sky37d]

C"mon.... Have you EVER actually seen a woman airline captain wear a dress?

Yes, but not while flying an airplane, it's not the uniform. And the question related to seeing the captain in a bar.

Okay, back to the topic at hand.
I agree, changing the regs to 12 hours doesn't solve the problem. If pilots drink inside 8 hours, or as in the case of the NWA folks, just before boarding, it's not the drinking rule that needs to be changed, it the people drinking before flying.

I would presume that in this case, that person won't be a pilot for quite a while.

 

[FN FAL]

C"mon.... Have you EVER actually seen a woman airline captain wear a dress?

The real question isn't whether you've seen airline captains wearing a dress, it's whether or not you've seen them wearing a condom when they aren't.

 

[skydiverdriver2]

I knew this would happen when they decided to make screeners federal employees. Now, anyone can see a pilot and call someone to make a complaint, but making them federal law enforcement officials will lead to abuse. I don't belive it's any of their business if a pilot smells or looks wrong to them.

Of course, I don't believe in random alcohol or drug tests either, as there is no reasonable cause to test people just because they work at an airline. I don't think it's legal, but to test it someone would have to refuse to be tested and lose their job. I'm not sure I would trust the Supreme Court with that decision. Of course, I will follow the law as it currently reads, even though I disagree with it.

 

[FN FAL]

I knew this would happen when they decided to make screeners federal employees. Now, anyone can see a pilot and call someone to make a complaint, but making them federal law enforcement officials will lead to abuse. I don't belive it's any of their business if a pilot smells or looks wrong to them.

Of course, I don't believe in random alcohol or drug tests either, as there is no reasonable cause to test people just because they work at an airline. I don't think it's legal, but to test it someone would have to refuse to be tested and lose their job. I'm not sure I would trust the Supreme Court with that decision. Of course, I will follow the law as it currently reads, even though I disagree with it.

How many airline crashes have occured with a .08/.07/.06/.05/.04% BAC?

Probably not as many as those caused by persons impaired with religion.

 

[DiamondFlyer]

Per the SOP, a TSA Screener would be required to call a LEO for suspected un-fit for duty. Quoting the Job Description is not valid as the individual airport's SOP dictates the reponsiblility of the TSA workforce. That said, the proper action is for the Screener (TSO) to notify the Screening Manager (SM) who will coordinate LEOs, because it's a criminal act. With this in mind, there is a process by which TSA can hold the aircraft if LEOs are running a little slow that particular day. The aircraft was going no-where, and there was probably much less of a scene to get the guy in the cockpit instead of in front of 1000 passengers in a terminal. In truth, the SOP would have required SWA be notified and a combined presence should have removed the pilot from the aircraft as quietly as possible, most likely announcing that the crew, "clocked out".

With consideration of TSA, all this is coordinated a facility by a neutral party in a facility far away.