weasel_lips
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http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=61051910.blog
Southwest: Pilot on paid leave pending alcohol investigation
"The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident Tuesday at Port Columbus in which two passengers accused a Southwest Airlines pilot of having been drinking." That's from WBNS 10-TV of Columbus, Ohio, which says the pilot in question was first noticed by passengers as they all went through security at the airport. WBNS writes on its website that "according to a report by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority police, the passengers approached the pilot shortly before an afternoon flight, saying he 'smelled and looked drunk,' 10TV's Kurt Ludlow reported."
"As we went through security, we told the TSA guy, 'Hey, that pilot smells like he's reeking of alcohol. He ought to be checked out,' " Andy Maisner, a Los Angeles resident who was getting ready to catch a flight from Columbus to St. Louis, tells the station. Maisner says he and business colleague Chan Mahon followed the pilot past security. WBNS says they "became alarmed when they mistakenly thought he was heading to the gate where their flight was about to begin boarding."
"So we went up, and Chan said to the pilot, 'Hey, you just reek of alcohol, and if you've got a drinking problem, you shouldn't be flying this plane,' " Maisner says to WBNS. "The guy just took off running. He didn't say, 'I haven't been drinking.' He just turned beet red and took off." Airport police tell WBNS they found the pilot -– sans his uniform and hat –- in an airport bathroom. Police say the pilot told them he called in sick to work. He denied drinking, though WBNS writes "he did tell officers that he 'partied hard (the night before) at the hotel,' the report said."
WBNS says Southwest officials told airport police they'd investigate and give the pilot a blood-alcohol test, though the station adds "no results were immediately available." Federal Aviation Administration rules prohibit pilots from flying if they've had alcohol within eight hours of flying.
"We are continuing to cooperate with the appropriate authorities and we have initiated an internal investigation to gather all the facts of this situation," Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz says in a response e-mailed to Today in the Sky. "The pilot is on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation, and we'll take any appropriate action based on the facts. Obviously, we take all allegations that affect the Safety of its Customers, Employees, and aircraft very seriously."
Southwest: Pilot on paid leave pending alcohol investigation
"The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident Tuesday at Port Columbus in which two passengers accused a Southwest Airlines pilot of having been drinking." That's from WBNS 10-TV of Columbus, Ohio, which says the pilot in question was first noticed by passengers as they all went through security at the airport. WBNS writes on its website that "according to a report by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority police, the passengers approached the pilot shortly before an afternoon flight, saying he 'smelled and looked drunk,' 10TV's Kurt Ludlow reported."
"As we went through security, we told the TSA guy, 'Hey, that pilot smells like he's reeking of alcohol. He ought to be checked out,' " Andy Maisner, a Los Angeles resident who was getting ready to catch a flight from Columbus to St. Louis, tells the station. Maisner says he and business colleague Chan Mahon followed the pilot past security. WBNS says they "became alarmed when they mistakenly thought he was heading to the gate where their flight was about to begin boarding."
"So we went up, and Chan said to the pilot, 'Hey, you just reek of alcohol, and if you've got a drinking problem, you shouldn't be flying this plane,' " Maisner says to WBNS. "The guy just took off running. He didn't say, 'I haven't been drinking.' He just turned beet red and took off." Airport police tell WBNS they found the pilot -– sans his uniform and hat –- in an airport bathroom. Police say the pilot told them he called in sick to work. He denied drinking, though WBNS writes "he did tell officers that he 'partied hard (the night before) at the hotel,' the report said."
WBNS says Southwest officials told airport police they'd investigate and give the pilot a blood-alcohol test, though the station adds "no results were immediately available." Federal Aviation Administration rules prohibit pilots from flying if they've had alcohol within eight hours of flying.
"We are continuing to cooperate with the appropriate authorities and we have initiated an internal investigation to gather all the facts of this situation," Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz says in a response e-mailed to Today in the Sky. "The pilot is on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation, and we'll take any appropriate action based on the facts. Obviously, we take all allegations that affect the Safety of its Customers, Employees, and aircraft very seriously."
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