SWA pilot that blew .039

[radarlove]

I haven't seen or heard any update on this. It would seem that he blew under the limit and they wouldn't have a case, but then I read he got indicted on a federal charge.

Does anyone know the update? If he's really getting prosecuted, it means that pilots have to meet a different standard than others which is scary.

 

[slaquer5]

word on the street is that the SLC D/A has dropped it.............

 

[Falcon Jet 1]

They better have, it was not valid
arrest.

 

[grog_sit_reserv]

Question is: is he still working? What did SWA do to him? Does he have a case for wrongful arrest or something like that?

 

[skiandsurf]

Question is: is he still working? What did SWA do to him? Does he have a case for wrongful arrest or something like that?

If Herb has any say in the matter, he would probably take the guy out and show him how to "really" drink.

 

[flythere]

If Herb has any say in the matter, he would probably take the guy out and show him how to "really" drink.

That's awsome, hell I'd even buy the first round!!!!

 

[airlinepilot]

Take them all to court

Bottom line, he didn't break any law, the DA should not have charged, and NOBODY was justified in releasing him name. I understand he has a good lawyer and plans on taking the TSA and DA to court to seek damages......don't think the company has done anything....

 

[XR650R]

Rumor has it he got six months off and Beer School. Nothing to back up the claim- just "jetway talk"

 

[MLBWINGBORN]

The folks in SLC stepped on it big time on how it was handled.

He will make some different choices about how he spends his over night..

But..He will do VERY well in the end and the whole thing will be a very wealthy memory..

 

[skiandsurf]

The folks in SLC stepped on it big time on how it was handled.

He will make some different choices about how he spends his over night..

But..He will do VERY well in the end and the whole thing will be a very wealthy memory..

Good for him and for SWA for standing behind their pilots.



(I do not encourage pilots to fly drunk or under the influence, rather I dont like TSA and airport cops treating us like criminals)

 

[ferlo]

Why should a guy that shows up drunk to fly an airplane get a f-ing dime out of it? Despite the tone here, showing up drunk to fly a jet doesn't really make you cool, despite how much you think "herb" would approve.

 

[PA-22]

Just curious, we have a 0.0 company policy, don't you guys have the same at SWA?
The company is on his side??

 

[Juvat]

Why should a guy that shows up drunk to fly an airplane get a f-ing dime out of it? Despite the tone here, showing up drunk to fly a jet doesn't really make you cool, despite how much you think "herb" would approve.

Well, for starters, he didn't show up for work drunk. So there's the little matter of wrongful arrest, lost wages, and defamation. All of these damages can be proven in a civil case, and Mr. Joe Pilot could walk away with an award. However, the main thing to focus on here is that (hopefully) the TSA, SLC airport authorities, and SLC DA's office will reevaluate their criteria for singling out a pilot and dragging his good name through the mud without a case.

 

[Juvat]

Just curious, we have a 0.0 company policy, don't you guys have the same at SWA?
The company is on his side??

Just curious, who is "we"?


To answer your question, the SWA policy is .02, which is more restrictive than the FAA's limit of .04. Other SWA guys please correct me if I got this wrong.

Between .02 and .04 the employee gets to go to beer school. I wouldn't say that the company is on the pilot's side. They are just going to follow the established policy. Any way you look at it, it's not going to be pretty for the pilot.

 

[Oh-ryan]

Well, for starters, he didn't show up for work drunk. So there's the little matter of wrongful arrest, lost wages, and defamation. All of these damages can be proven in a civil case, and Mr. Joe Pilot could walk away with an award. However, the main thing to focus on here is that (hopefully) the TSA, SLC airport authorities, and SLC DA's office will reevaluate their criteria for singling out a pilot and dragging his good name through the mud without a case.

I'm no supporter of the TSA and what happened to this guy, but for the sake of my traveling family I hope that they continue to scrutinize any pilot that appears to be under the influence. Let's face it, blowing a .039 indicates have a little more than one with dinner the night before. I don't think he should get a dime for his actions. Nor should he have been arrested and been treated the way he was. Both parties are at fault. I say do over.

 

[Blucher]

Why should a guy that shows up drunk to fly an airplane get a f-ing dime out of it? Despite the tone here, showing up drunk to fly a jet doesn't really make you cool, despite how much you think "herb" would approve.

Ferlo,

You're speaking only in hypotheticals here. The guy was not drunk, as proved by the breathalizer. The reason he might receive some financial settlement is because he was not drunk, and yet the cops/TSA/DA all said he was publicly to the papers and raised a stink about it (no pun intended). It's all fine and good for people want to be today's 15 minute hero, but these morons were trying just a bit too hard. Apparently in SLC they don't understand that you have to actually catch somebody and have hard evidence before you attempt to crucify them and ruin their life and career.

-Blucher

PS-This does not mean that I think it is even a little bit OK to show up to pilot an aircraft impaired in any way.

 

[furloughed dude]

Not sure if I remember exactly, but didn't this guy's alchohol test occur an hour after his showtime? I realize what the rule is, but let's not make this dude a hero. He was probably about .54 when he showed for work. He was just lucky it took so long to get his test. If you ask me, he embarrassed the profession and his airline.

 

[Cavpilot]

So exactly how much of that LDS 3.2 beer does one have to drink to blow a .039 the NEXT day?

 

[SWA GUY]

If you ask me, he embarrassed the profession and his airline.

We didn't ask you, so why don't you shut the F*ck up!

Remember this; The last guy on this earth who was perfect got himself nailed to a cross.

 

[furloughed dude]

Yeah, I guess I don't care about embarrassing the airline. Southwest does a good enough job doing this by themselves. But every time a loser like this shows up with liquor on his breath, it makes us all look bad. If he keeps his license, he is lucky the incompetents at SLC couldn't get him to a breathalizer any sooner. Fifteen minutes earlier and .04 or higher.... Maybe he should go buy them a beer...

 

[ivauir]

I'm no supporter of the TSA and what happened to this guy, but for the sake of my traveling family I hope that they continue to scrutinize any pilot that appears to be under the influence. Let's face it, blowing a .039 indicates have a little more than one with dinner the night before. I don't think he should get a dime for his actions. Nor should he have been arrested and been treated the way he was. Both parties are at fault. I say do over.

He can't get a "do over". His name has been drug through the mud. Lets face it, the authorities overstepped the limits of the law.

BTW I think he ws WAAAAY too close and chould have called in sick.

 

[ivauir]

Yeah, I guess I don't care about embarrassing the airline. Southwest does a good enough job doing this by themselves. ..

Excuse me? Where do you get off? You'd never say that in person, but you can be "Billy Badac" here on the internet. Spare us the empty talk tough guy.

 

[furloughed dude]

off topic...

 

[Mach 80]

Hey furloughed...there's enough "embarassing" to go around for everyone:

Let's see..there was the Eastern crew, who, while ALL THREE of them played around with a broken light bulb, let the plane descend into the Everglades.

A UAL Captain fiddles around with a landing gear problem till they run out of gas .... despite warnings from his FE.

A Delta crew chats about a F/A and forgets to set flaps for take-off at DFW.

Another Delta crew figures they are immune to thunderstorms and flies through one at DFW in a wide body and kills a bunch.

An NWA crew forgets to set flaps and kills a bunch at DTW in an MD-80.

An NWA crew flies drunk.

An NWA 727 crew somehow stalls their 727 at high altitude and nearly loses the plane.

An AWA crew attempts top fly drunk

A NWA crew lands at the wrong airport in Europe after a trans-Atalntic flight.

An American Chief Pilot tries to land in a TRW at Little Rock and kills a bunch.

A Pan Am 727 elects to take off on runway 10 at MSY during windshear and TRWs and kills a bunch while a SWA 737 declined the take-off and was waiting for the weather to improve.

A Comair crew loses situational awareness while taxiing to their assigned runway and takes off on the wrong one killing a bunch.

All these incidents are a serious embarassment to the industry.

I could easily go on and on and on but the point is, if you are going to aim arrows, you better have a very large quiver.

 

[proptojet]

The guy was not drunk so leave it alone. I think beer school may be in order but the guy doesn't deserve to be crucified.

 

[ironspud]

All of you are a bunch of whining pussies.

 

[slaquer5]

Not sure if I remember exactly, but didn't this guy's alchohol test occur an hour after his showtime? I realize what the rule is, but let's not make this dude a hero. He was probably about .54 when he showed for work. He was just lucky it took so long to get his test. If you ask me, he embarrassed the profession and his airline.

Thats is not Necessarily true. I have seen where some blows ( whatever #) and is taken to the jail .They are tested again at the jail and blow higher number over an hr. later at the jail.

 

[Beetle007]

Doesn't .02 or greater get you fired at most airlines?

Maybe you get a second chance when you are off probation, but I thought .02 is standard for termination.

 

[skiandsurf]

Hey furloughed...there's enough "embarassing" to go around for everyone:

Other than the AWA crew you mentioned, I wonder how many of these crashes or incidents were related to Alcohol? I would rather fly with those drunk AWA pilots over these other guys.

 

[A350]

I would think that blowing over a .02 at most carriers would get you canned....blowing over .04 means you lose your license.

Any LUV guys out there....lose the thick hide and admit the guy humiliated himself and all of us. Blowing a .039 is nothing to be proud of. Of course he wasn't DRUNK by driving standards, but he was impaired.

Stop defending him and trying to excoriate the authorities. They were doing their job, the SWA FO was doing his while impaired. He is dang lucky they didn't get him blowing on that thing even 10 minutes prior. We wouldn't be having this conversation.


A350