A Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested for allegedly being intoxicated right before his flight was scheduled for takeoff.
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According to Fox News, the incident happened at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport at approximately 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15. The arrested pilot was identified as New Hampershi resident David Allsop, who was making his way to Southwest Flight 3772, bound for Chicago.
He was charged with driving under the influence.
Following the pilot’s arrest, the Southwest flight departed shortly before 11 a.m., nearly four hours after its originally scheduled departure.
Southwest Airlines confirmed to Fox News that it was investigating the incident and that Allsop had been “removed from duty.”
“We’re aware of a situation involving an Employee on Flight 3772 this morning from Savannah,” the airline company shared in a statement. “The employee has been removed from duty.”
Southwest Airlines further shared that passengers were accommodated onto other flights while Flight 3772 was grounded.
“Customers were accommodated on other flights, and we apologize for the disruption to their travel plans,” the company continued. “There’s nothing more important to Southwest than the safety of our employees and customers.”
According to jail records obtained by CBS News, Allsop’s bail was set for $3,500. The record also indicated that he was released on bond.
A Delta Airlines Pilot Was Sentence to 10 Months in Prison For Reporting For Duty Intoxicated
The incident in Georgia comes nearly a year after a Delta Airlines pilot was sentenced to 10 months in prison for reporting for duty intoxicated.
CNN Travel reported that the American pilot, Lawrence Russell Jr., went to work at Scotland’s Edinburgh Airport while allegedly drunk. He was set to fly from Edinburgh to New York’s JFK Airport on June 16, 2023. However, he was stopped from flying after his blood alcohol test revealed he exceeded the legal limit.
The pilot also had two bottles of Jägermeister in his bag. One of the bottles was half full.
“Delta was aware of this incident and removed the pilot from service while conducting a thorough investigation in coordination with Scottish authorities,” a Delta spokesperson stated.
During the court sentencing, Sheriff (Judge) Alison Stirling slammed the pilot for his decisions.
“Your bag was found to contain two bottles of Jägermeister, one of which was open and was just under half full,” she stated. “Because you were wearing a pilot’s uniform, police were contacted. Officers arrived shortly thereafter. You gave your details to the police and told them you were a captain with Delta Airlines.”
The legal alcohol limit for pilots in Scotland is 20 milligrams.