SWA Pilot on paid leave pending alcohol investigation

[nimtz]

Lets say that I walk out of a bar and head to my car. You see me stumble and say "are you drunk?". I then go call a taxi to take me home. Did I do the right thing?


But the key thing with this pilot, is he did not test drunk. Someone said he smelled of alcohol....but he had called in sick before anyone got to him. He was told by his CP to go back to the hotel and get better.

All you guys want to do is argue with everyone...TSA, passengers, etc. Take a lesson from this guy....walk away and call in sick.

BS!

This guy may have dodged the bullet, but he put himself in a corner that made our profession look bad, AGAIN. The lesson is don't go to the freaking airport and put yourself in this situation. Bang in sick at the hotel and man up for the impending CP carpet dance.

And for god sakes he said "I partied hard last night" to an airport cop! Heaps of common sense there! The only lesson here is how NOT to handle a few too many. Boy check your social skills if you think this fella handled things right...

 

[Midnight Flyer]

Honestly, I hope it doesn't ruin his career, but I'm sure the guy must have something going on in his life to risk one of the most stable flying jobs in the country. I guessing he needs help.

Ditto.
With all the layoffs and downsizing happening right now, if he gets fired, he's not finding another flying job.
I don't even drink the night before a trip anymore. My airline job is worthless and unstable, and still I'm not taking any chances with the TSA or the public making accusations. I can't imagine anyone with a job like SWA dumb enough to jeopardize it by "partying hard". Wasn't that what college was all about?

 

[BrokenWing]

According to the police report, he called in sick from the airport bathroom. Looks like there was every intention to operate the flight up the point that he got confronted by a passenger. If he was really trying to do the right thing after a lapse of judgment (which we've all had), then he should have called in from the hotel room and commuted home later that day.

 

[Lequip]

For those patting the drunk SWA pilot on the back for doing a good job, get real!! This drunk pilot in question screwed up big time and should have never showed up to the airport in uniform. The only reason he called in sick was because he got busted. Had he not been questioned he would have operated his flight. It's idiots like this that give us all a bad name. Shame on this fool and to the idiots patting him on the back for doing a good job.

 

[mdf]

Wow it is sure is comforting to see how many perfect people we have here on this forum. Especially since nobody was there, and knows all the facts, other than what they read in the papers. This is a good guy. Maybe he had 2 beers with dinner at 12:00am, slept in late, didn't get to eat, and went to the airport. Maybe he tied one on big time, but still felt fine at show time. The point is maybe he made a mistake, or maybe it was more innocent than you think. The bottom line is if you have never made a mistake then feel free to comment, otherwise I would STFU until I knew all the facts regarding the situation.

 

[McNugget]

Wow it is sure is comforting to see how many perfect people we have here on this forum. Especially since nobody was there, and knows all the facts, other than what they read in the papers. This is a good guy. Maybe he had 2 beers with dinner at 12:00am, slept in late, didn't get to eat, and went to the airport. Maybe he tied one on big time, but still felt fine at show time. The point is maybe he made a mistake, or maybe it was more innocent than you think. The bottom line is if you have never made a mistake then feel free to comment, otherwise I would STFU until I knew all the facts regarding the situation.

FACTS? FACTS! These are the people who take Flightinfo as the holy gospel of aviation. There's no stinkin' FACTS, here!

 

[dane]

Alone?

Hey y'all,

I find myself wondering who he was partying with? Either he was alone in his room, or maybe he was at the bar with some other people. Somebody knows, either colleagues or other hotel guests.

Anyway, if he did scr__ up, lesson learned and he will never do it again.

dane

 

[Dude]

All,

I spoke with the First Officer of that crew and he said the Captain was NOT drunk. All the allegations are apparently baseless as are the bogus report of the alcohol odor and the running to the restroom. It is possible for the police and the accuser to fabricate part of their story.

Why was he NOT detained? Why was he NOT arrested? Why is he still employed? Think about the whole situation and consider that if he was even close to intoxicated, they would have kept him detained long enough for a blood-test and then arrested him. They certainly wouldn't have let him go.

If he was drunk, throw the book at him. It doesn't seem to be the case though. Imagine if you were wrongly accused of drinking because of a stupid passenger and your name was plastered all over the news.

 

[skiandsurf]

All,



If he was drunk, throw the book at him. It doesn't seem to be the case though. Imagine if you were wrongly accused of drinking because of a stupid passenger and your name was plastered all over the news.

Maybe, just maybe, this guy is a non-drinker. And maybe, just maybe, he was sick and wasnt feeling good, and some passenger accused him of being drunk. Maybe, just maybe this pilot thought to himself "f*** you, I am sick and going back to bed". Then when confronted by the cop, tells the cop that he was "partying hard last night" hoping to get a breathalyzer to blow a .00.

Since all of you FIers are perfect, you dont have anything to worry about. For those of you that might push the limit and might find yourself in a bad situation, take a lesson from this guy...Dont argue, walk away and call in sick.

By the way....was the flight delayed or canceled?

 

[Amish RakeFight]

What's the offical call-in-sick beer of SWA?

 

[Pervis]

Reading some of these posts makes me glad I don't have to rely on you guys to be my "fair and impartial" jurors.

 

[hockeypilot44]

Lets say that I walk out of a bar and head to my car. You see me stumble and say "are you drunk?". I then go call a taxi to take me home. Did I do the right thing?


But the key thing with this pilot, is he did not test drunk. Someone said he smelled of alcohol....but he had called in sick before anyone got to him. He was told by his CP to go back to the hotel and get better.

All you guys want to do is argue with everyone...TSA, passengers, etc. Take a lesson from this guy....walk away and call in sick.

The answer to your car story is yes. You either drink and drive or you don't. If you called a cab, you did the right thing.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Homeboy was plastered and got lucky by calling in, just in time. If he's off the clock, no need to do a breathe or blood test. That's why he was released.

How about an SWA brand of Peanut Butter or maybe microbrew. Kinda like Neuman's own....

 

[satpak77]

just a bunch of SWA wanna-be's who are salivating at the idea of a SWA pilot walking away in cuffs.

sad sad

remember, perception IS reality. He was in uniform, and for whatever reason, the odor of alchohol was on his breath. Passengers saw this.

If he still flew, while factually not drunk (mouthwash?) or indeed not even having consumed alchohol, but still climbed into the cockpit, major PR disaster, even if for a fact clean and sober.

He did the proper thing. He did not conceal or lie to Chief Pilot or the responding police officer. He did not become hostile towards TSA. He did not "insist" on taking the controls and continuing to the jet.

but of course, on flightinfo, do the right thing and it is the wrong thing.

this guy will KEEP his job and enjoy many more years of SWA

 

[Amish RakeFight]

this guy will KEEP his job and enjoy many more years of SWA and partying hard

Right on!

If there ever was a reason for a clip-on tie. Makes it much easier to rip off in a hurry.

 

[Whine Lover]

If the individual was so innocent why didn't he just tell the passenger to either A) watch his mouth or B) make an issue of it and delay the flight for a Breathalyzer?

If you are 100% innocent:

-Why escape and evade?

-Why call in sick?

How many times have you had a passenger make a stupid remark about "hope you guys are sober" or "get enough sleep last night?" or some other such equally ignorant thing?

Most of us either just ignore it, tell the individual that it is not a joking matter and put them in there place or, in the extreme, make an issue of it by asking for a Breathalyzer and testing out at a BAC of 0.00 ?

I hope the pilot in question slides, but I am still shaking my head at his course of action... which is the ONLY reason his name all over the Media.

Makes no sense to me.... Other than, he was "guilty as charged" and he knew it.

Doesn't mean he was drunk, doesn't mean he was above 0.02. Doesn't even make him a Bad Guy. It just means that he knew he had "partied hard" and wanted out of the situation ASAP.

?

"There, but for the Grace of God, ...."

-------------------------------------------------

The 70's must have been so much better... Drink like a fish, blow a doobie on the beach, bang a hippie chick F/A without fear of dying from AIDS, toot a lil' Blow as a morning pick me up, waltz past security (carrying your pistol in case of hijacking ) by flashing your ID, and then grab ahold of four DC-8 throttles at 6am so you could do a Max. Power, Ball Blaster, Ear-Splitting, Dawn departure with no noise limits, even while spewing trails of smoke and soot all over the beautiful neighborhoods below.

Sigh.....Never again.

Those were the Days.

But then all those alcohol and drug related crashes occured (?) and, Thank God, now we have Drug and Alcohol Testing and the TSA.

Right?

YKMKR

 

[hockeypilot44]

Has there ever been a 121 aircraft crash due to one of the pilots being drunk? I thought that is why there were originally two of us. So we could cover for each other.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Has there ever been a 121 aircraft crash due to one of the pilots being drunk? I thought that is why there were originally two of us. So we could cover for each other.

One of the best observations yet. :beer:

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

don't you mean torpedo induced. an enema is fluid induced. a torpedo would be a purple domed hi speed tube

Everyone in here is looking at you wondering why you know so much about it. Hmmmm.

 

[satpak77]

Doesn't mean he was drunk, doesn't mean he was above 0.02. Doesn't even make him a Bad Guy. It just means that he knew he had "partied hard" and wanted out of the situation ASAP.



YKMKR

So

- We agree that he was probably not drunk

- We agree he prob is not a bad guy

- And we (ahem...) agree that he recogized a dicey situation and wanted out of it (mission accomplished)

so that should just about put this to bed then...

MODS: Request thread re-title to:

"Guy makes stupid mistake, recognizes it, and decides on another course of action before he gets himself or others in trouble, then is bashed on flightinfo for 5+ pages for taking proper course of action, which was done after honest disclosure to police and his own management"

 

[Dan Roman]

So what IF the guy screwed up (none of us know what really happened). We all make mistakes. You guys pointing fingers are masking a bigger problem. Your need to be critical of others to make up for your own short comings.

 

[rickair7777]

Why was he NOT detained? Why was he NOT arrested? Why is he still employed? Think about the whole situation and consider that if he was even close to intoxicated, they would have kept him detained long enough for a blood-test and then arrested him. They certainly wouldn't have let him go.

Wrong. Although the cops reacted quickly to "apprehend" this guy, it would not have taken them long to realize that that there is no federal, state, local law, or FAR against being slightly buzzed in an airport...what you happen to be wearing doesn't change that.

They had no grounds to force a blood test, and would have ended up signing over their houses to the guy if they had.

Pilots have been confronted at the airport and they invariably say "I'm going in to tell ops that I am calling in sick" Obvious BS, but since you can't prove otherwise, no crime.

If you think about every other high profile incident along these lines, you will recall that the offenders were arrested on board the aircraft.

Even the TSA is smart enough not to confront the drunk pilot at security...cuz if they do, he will leave and call in sick...no bust, no TSA heroism medal.

This guy may have been saved when that pax flushed him out before he got to the plane. Assuming he was even drunk... although his behavior was mighty fishy.

 

[nimtz]

So

- We agree that he was probably not drunk

- We agree he prob is not a bad guy

- And we (ahem...) agree that he recogized a dicey situation and wanted out of it (mission accomplished)

so that should just about put this to bed then...

MODS: Request thread re-title to:

"Guy makes stupid mistake, recognizes it, and decides on another course of action before he gets himself or others in trouble, then is bashed on flightinfo for 5+ pages for taking proper course of action, which was done after honest disclosure to police and his own management"

Sorry mate, but even if sober he's a dumb@ss that made every 121 pilot look bad. That's my issue. I get very irritated when I hear the 'breathalyzer before pilot flies' talk on MSNBC. What has happened here raises that bs once again.

The course of action when a passenger makes such an accusation is to call for the pee test and delay the flight. How you get to the point of being a captain at any airline and follow the path he took is beyond me? Rushing to the bathroom and telling a cop you partied hard last night is about as bright Pacman Jones 'makin it rain' at the strip club.

 

[Dude]

I am still blown away by the belief that the pilot said, "I partied hard". NO WAY did he say that. The running to the bathroom bit it BS too. His FO said that this was BS. I don't care if the Pope swears by that statement, the guy didn't say it.

By the way, the police can hold you, for a long time, for a multitude of reasons and suspicion being the most likely. Long enough for the company to administer a bloodtest, which I don't think they did.

I can't believe that most here aren't fuming from the fact that this dude was outed for doing nothing. The passengers and TSA have all the creditbility and the crews have none. Bull$hit! They can say anything they want, true or not, and anyone buys it.

 

[Papa Woody]

I heard Southwest was kicked out of a hotel in some small town because a crew of gay flight attendants had a sex party, and ended up plastering the walls with enema induced turd juice?

So that's what the crap is at the Hilton?! I thought it was textured paint!

 

[satpak77]

I get the sense that the interest in waning in this...

good

 

[zonker]

I was hoping it was that POS Paul Emens.

 

[skiandsurf]

Sorry mate, but even if sober he's a dumb@ss that made every 121 pilot look bad. That's my issue. I get very irritated when I hear the 'breathalyzer before pilot flies' talk on MSNBC. What has happened here raises that bs once again.

I dont know whats worse, the breathalyser or watching MSNBC.

 

[nimtz]

I am still blown away by the belief that the pilot said, "I partied hard". NO WAY did he say that. The running to the bathroom bit it BS too. His FO said that this was BS. I don't care if the Pope swears by that statement, the guy didn't say it.

So now we're saying the cop is a liar? Then I'd be calling a lawyer to prep a libel suit on him and a few media outlets.

From officer Harry H. Fisher:

"I then asked Captain Shook if he had been drinking today, and he stated, "No, but I partied hard last night at the hotel". Mr. Michael Rucker, Southwest CMH station manager and Mr. James June were in the room. Mr. Rucker was on the phone with Southwest drug and alcohol office, and stated to this officer that Captain Shook would have to submit to an alcohol test.

http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/01/heres-the-police-report-on-the.html

Who knows, maybe that was misinterpreted sarcasm?

 

[The Prussian]

I was hoping it was that POS xxxx xxxxx.

Say what you will...you and others might not agree with what he did, but I tip my pointy hat to him. At least he has integrity, is principled, and put in over 20 years of elbow grease to change something he felt was wrong. That's a whole lot more than I can say for your post, which outs him on a public forum.