A Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested on a DUI charge while conducting pre-flight checks for a flight from Savannah to Chicago, according to a police report. The 52-year-old pilot was taken off the plane in handcuffs on Wednesday morning after passengers had already boarded.
Officers reported that the pilot had bloodshot eyes, a flushed complexion, and a strong odor of alcohol. The Transportation Security Administration said an airport security officer had alerted police after smelling alcohol on the pilot during a screening lane check-in.
When questioned, the pilot attributed the smell to nicotine patches and admitted to having consumed 'a few light beers' the night before. He failed a field sobriety test, showing difficulty maintaining balance, and was arrested after refusing a blood alcohol test.
Federal Aviation Administration regulations prohibit flying within eight hours of alcohol consumption or with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 or higher. Southwest Airlines confirmed the pilot has been removed from duty and apologised for the disruption, stating that customers were accommodated on other flights.
