Accusations of being under the influence led to the arrest of Southwest Airlines pilot David Allsop. He was arrested on charges of driving under the influence. This caused a 5-hour delay in Southwest flight 3772, necessitating the transfer of passengers to alternative flights. Incidents of this type are rare but highlight the necessity of security and vigilance from Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers.
What happened?
On Wednesday, 15th January, at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, Southwest Airlines pilot David Allsop allegedly arrived at work intoxicated. A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer claimed to smell alcohol on the pilot and reported him to law enforcement. The TSA officer’s ability to detect the smell of alcohol and report it quickly potentially prevented a catastrophic situation.
Allsop was removed from Southwest Airlines flight 3772 and arrested on the charges of driving under the influence. The airline removed him from duty and secured a $3,500 bond for him. The airline has stated:
“We’re aware of a situation involving an employee on Flight 3772 this morning from Savannah. The employee has been removed from duty.”
Despite the lack of specific details about his blood alcohol level, the charges highlight the gravity of the situation. Authorities have not revealed any more information regarding the pilot’s future at this time.
How common is this?
Although rare, arrests for excessive alcohol consumption before a flight do occur occasionally. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the USA, pilots must cease all alcohol consumption at least 8 hours before a scheduled flight and cannot fly if their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.04% or higher.
In May 2024, Japan Airlines grounded a flight from Dallas to Tokyo due to the pilot’s excessive drinking the previous night. The airline reported that the 49-year-old pilot was allegedly drinking with crew members the night before, when a room noise complaint exposed them. The airline did not remove the pilot from the flight due to his intoxication, as he did not breach the policy prohibiting alcohol consumption 12 hours prior to the flight. For safety reasons, they removed him to assess his mental and physical well-being.
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