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Dep676

My Glock is bigger!!!!!
Joined
Nov 25, 2001
Posts
1,003
MIAMI (AP) - American West is firing the two pilots charged with trying to fly a jetliner to Phoenix while drunk, a company spokesman said Wednesday.

Pilot Thomas Porter Cloyd and co-pilot Christopher Hughes "have been sent a letter notifying them that our intention is to terminate their employment," said spokeswoman Janice Monahan.

She said the letters were delivered Tuesday. The pilots can appeal through their union contract if they choose, she said.

The airline has worked closely with Miami-Dade police, who provided information the airline needed to continue with the firing, Monahan said. She didn't elaborate.

Cloyd, 44, and Hughes, 41, were charged Monday by Miami-Dade County police with operating an aircraft under the influence and operating a motor vehicle under the influence.

Both had blood-alcohol levels above the legal limit of 0.08 when they were ordered to return their Phoenix-bound plane, carrying 124 passengers, back to the gate Monday morning because a screener had noticed they smelled of alcohol. Hughes initially told police it was "merely mouthwash," according to police reports.

Meanwhile, Arizona police records show that Cloyd has been arrested twice for alleged alcohol-related offenses while at his home in Arizona.

Two years ago, Cloyd was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct after allegedly harassing his downstairs neighbor. He told police he had been "drinking a lot" before he shouted obscenities, pounded on her door and stomped on his floor, records show.

He was sentenced to two years' probation.

In 1998, Cloyd had been drinking when he was arrested for misdemeanor domestic assault at his home in Chandler, Ariz., near Phoenix. He admitted he spit on his then-wife and shoved her into a refrigerator with his chest.

Prosecutors dropped the domestic assault charge after Cloyd took an anger-management class, said Carla Boatner, administrator for Chandler Municipal Court.

A spokesman for the Cloyd's family, Steve Hicks said, "We're saddened by the occurrences and the allegations made against them."

Hughes declined to comment Tuesday.

Federal Aviation Administration ( news - web sites) policy requires pilots to report if they have been charged with certain alcohol-related offenses, such as driving under the influence. Their pilot's certificate is suspended after a third offense, said FAA spokesman Christopher White.

Cloyd and Hughes returned to their Gilbert, Ariz., homes Tuesday after they were released from jail on $7,000 bond. They could face five years in prison if convicted.
 
Classy guy. We can probably guess who the ring-leader was in this all-nighter.

Someone mentioned in the related post that it made him sick to see them in cuffs. No, actually it was about time.
 
Someone noticed his inclination at his company before this hapened, right? If that someone had forced him into the recovery program, we wouldn't be suffering from this "black eye" today on the aviation industry.
 
Irony

Once again, it is ironic that if he brought that rap sheet to AW at interview he would not have been hired, guaranteed. He apparently built up the rap sheet after hire and kept his job, and would have kept his job but for Monday's incident.

I understand, yet, I don't understand. We get so many posts from people who've been in trouble, recently, or years ago, and want an airline career. Nearly everyone tells them to forget the airlines. I'd bet that these folks have learned their lessons and would do fine. Yet, the puritans in H.R. eschew them. Now, we hear about this one AW character with a record.

I just don't understand things sometimes. :confused: :rolleyes:
 
You PLAY then you must PAY- It is about time that the track record has caught up to these two. When innocent lives are on the line I have absolutely no sympathy whatsoever & I feel West is 100% correct by "terminating" employment


C H E E R S

3 5 0
 
Here comes another media feeding frenzy. Hopefully the aviation industry PR folks will get the message out that this is a rare occurrence.
I'm just glad there aren't any politicians or media types that have ever done this (have a record and get drunk). Ted Kennedy forever!!!:mad:
 
CNN

In addition to me, I saw 4 other guests from the industry yesterday on various shows and they all pointed out how small f a problem this was and the stats.

For the most part, I think that this has been treated well and fairly in the press.
 
Before anyone crucifies these folks for their other offenses, consider the nature of it, and what the media is doing with it. Cloyd was arrested for stomping on his floor. He was arrested for spitting on his wife.

Anybody here ever spit when they talk, or stomp on something? Didn't think so.

Nothing here has been placed in context. Nobody has a black eye. Nobody is going to see their pay drop. The perpetrators here have been caught, and they will be dealt with. The world hasn't ended, except perhaps for these two.

Before we completely villianize these folks, let's remember that they're people. We needn't judge their characters or lives. Obviously their own judgement was far outside that which is acceptable, in electing to drink on the job. However, let's not dive off into their personal lives and apply the tar and feathers. I seriously doubt that a single one of us is of such high moral character that we have that right.
 
No, I never spit on my wife and if I ever do I hope someone is there to beat the living $hit out of me. Glad these guys are gone. They did nothing for the profession. Anyone care to guess where the "pilots with guns" argument is going to go with this little "mistake"?

It's a bitch to draw your gun and not spill your beer at the same time.
 
Avbug,

Good post, I agree with you. While I don't condone the conduct on the job of these two pilots, and while I feel their actions have brought shame and embarrassment not only on themselves, but on their profession, I don't feel they should be crucified for less than perfect incidents in the rest of their private lives.

As you point out, there are few among us that are truly perfect. This incident on Monday deserves to be dealt with, they deserve to be punished, and we must ensure than none of us repeats it and that we help any of our brothers with known problems to overcome them before they reach this point.

Nailing them to the cross for previous incidents that appear to be less than perfect is not appropriate. Let's not forget that we have a man in the White House, with his finger on the nuclear button and the power to destroy us all. He happens to have a history of DUI convictions and a past record of alcoholism. If he can recover and become the President of our country, these pilots can do the same.

They made a terrible mistake, no doubt. They will pay the price. What they need now is help and support in recovery, not villification.

"To err is human. To forgive divine." "Let he that is without the sin cast the first stone."
 

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