LTBEWR From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 12329 posts, RR: 12 Reply 3, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 2188 times:
He most probably will be fired. All of the investment he made and VS made into him to be a pilot was a waste. Any person in his position who had to know they were so intoxicated that they couldn't do their job has a serious problem that needs to be resolved. Most important would be for him to go into a long-term alcohol rehab program. I have seen too many people with alcohol problems so severe that they never could or would go into rehab and ended up dead well below a normal age.
Jmc757 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2000, 1296 posts, RR: 8 Reply 4, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 1987 times:
Hmmm very interesting. I'm actually not sure where I sit on this one. Part of me agrees, strip him of his license and never let him fly again. However, we don't know the facts, and we don't know if he was even drunk.
The legal limit for car drivers in the UK is 35 microgrammes of alcohol on the breath. For pilots it is just 9 mircrogrammes. The thing is, having a good load of certain cough medicines or mouthwash can leave 9 mg on the breath. All we know is the pilot was over the limit of 9mg. Doesn't mean he was and staggering round the airport and certainly doesn't mean he was "drunk".
Quoting LTBEWR (Reply 3): Any person in his position who had to know they were so intoxicated that they couldn't do their job has a serious problem that needs to be resolved. Most important would be for him to go into a long-term alcohol rehab program
Unfortunately that is simply not true. We can't judge him, or indeed any problems he might have until the facts are known. For all we know, he may only have registered at 10mg, and as I said before that doesn't even mean he's been drinking, let alone unfit to do his job.
Pilots have rules to live by concerning alcohol, and this guy was over that limit so has definately been foolish. But the punishment should depend on the situation, and for that he's been arrested and will appear in court. If there is a case to answer it will be done so there and I'm sure relevant action will be taken.
Pe@rson From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 18818 posts, RR: 54 Reply 5, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 1937 times:
This reminds me of a Royal Brunei captain that was found to be drunk. The great irony is, of course, that Brunei is a strict no-alcohol country, and as such Royal Brunei is prohibited from supplying alcohol.
[Edited 2007-04-02 16:35:45]
"Everyone writing for the Telegraph knows that the way to grab eyeballs is with Ryanair and/or sex."
Legoguy From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2006, 3301 posts, RR: 44 Reply 6, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 1869 times:
Hold on guys, the article says, 'An airline pilot has been arrested on suspicion of being above the alcohol limit on board a plane due to fly to New York, police have confirmed.'
Note that this doesn't actually state that he was definately over the limit. It could turn out that he was not over the limit. Lets just wait until the test results are back until you start judging.
Can you say 'Beer Can' without sounding like a Jamaican saying 'Bacon'?
Jmc757 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2000, 1296 posts, RR: 8 Reply 7, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 1801 times:
Quoting Legoguy (Reply 6): Hold on guys, the article says, 'An airline pilot has been arrested on suspicion of being above the alcohol limit on board a plane due to fly to New York, police have confirmed.'
Note that this doesn't actually state that he was definately over the limit. It could turn out that he was not over the limit. Lets just wait until the test results are back until you start judging.
Exactly. He was breathalised though, so I guess they run blood tests after that to get more detail. Very interesting that this morning the BBC headline used the word "drunk" but has now changed to "drink charge". The press making a huge deal out of it for a change. Some moron (sorry "Industry expert") on Sky News earlier suggested all pilots should be breathalised before flying!
RB211LTN From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2004, 133 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1737 times:
A breath test is not used on pilots. The 9 microgramme limit is too small for the machines to accurately measure. A blood sample is taken by a doctor and the sample analysed at a laboratory. That is why he has been bailed.
The customer is always right.....unless he is a passenger!
Norcal773 From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 1277 posts, RR: 13 Reply 9, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1708 times:
Quoting RB211LTN (Reply 8): A breath test is not used on pilots. The 9 microgramme limit is too small for the machines to accurately measure. A blood sample is taken by a doctor and the sample analysed at a laboratory.
I would think it takes a 'few days' to get the results back, right? Wait, he was not in the US so it might be sooner.
Either way, let's not crucify him yet, maybe he wasn't even oven the limit.
Jmc757 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2000, 1296 posts, RR: 8 Reply 10, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1640 times:
Quoting RB211LTN (Reply 8): A breath test is not used on pilots. The 9 microgramme limit is too small for the machines to accurately measure. A blood sample is taken by a doctor and the sample analysed at a laboratory. That is why he has been bailed.
Thanks for the info, I was just going by BBC news which state he was. What? the media got it wrong?
Falstaff From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 5670 posts, RR: 29 Reply 11, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1640 times:
Quoting Norcal773 (Reply 9): Either way, let's not crucify him yet, maybe he wasn't even oven the limit.
Every time something come up like this there are people who jump right on the guy and want to send him away to prison for life.
We shouldn't judge before all the facts are in. Cases like this seem to be in the news a lot and we rarely actually hear how they turned out. If it turns out that the pilot was within the legal limit or not drinking at all I bet we will hear not another word about it.
There are lots of people in this world who want to ban alcohol, many under the guise of public safety. When a story like this hits the scene they run with it. It doesn't matter to them if he is guilty or not, it just gets their point across.
No pilot should operate an aircraft drunk, but lets not try and convict the man here, it is not the right place. Everyone looks guilty when the media get a hold of it.
Quoting RB211LTN (Reply 8): A breath test is not used on pilots. The 9 microgramme limit is too small for the machines to accurately measure. A blood sample is taken by a doctor and the sample analysed at a laboratory. That is why he has been bailed.
If they don't breathalyze pilots then this story must be reviewed for accuracy. Most people probably don't know that so when they read the story they assume its true.
We all know newspapers, TV, and the like are always accurate.
RB211LTN From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2004, 133 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1608 times:
We normally bail people for 6 weeks for the results of the blood analysis. The pilot is entitled to a sample, too, which he may get analysed independently. When he returns to the police station at LHR he will be released with no further action or charged with the offence, depending on the result of the test.
The customer is always right.....unless he is a passenger!
BlueShamu330s From UK - England, joined Sep 2001, 2514 posts, RR: 25 Reply 14, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 1454 times:
Might I suggest that anyone and everyone employed by VS makes a point of staying out of this discussion.
Whilst there may well be other circumstances and factors not in the public domain, it might be prudent to leave the speculation and sabre rattling to the armchair CEOs, self taught Authorised Medical Examiners and self appointed a.net police & heresy witch doctors who are always so vociferous and eloquent on matters like this here.
Shamu
So I drive a 4x4. So what?! Tax the a$$ off me for it...oh, you already have... :-(
Leezyjet From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 4041 posts, RR: 55 Reply 15, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 1401 times:
"most of which are probably wrong anyway."
Sorry missed the word "probably" out of that sentence in the previous post (but too late to re-edit it) however based on the accuracy of most aviation related media reports it is safe to assume some of the facts may be wrong.
"She Rolls, 45 knots, 90, 135, nose comes up to 20 degrees, she's airborne - She flies, Concorde Flies"
VV701 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 6617 posts, RR: 17 Reply 16, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days ago) and read 1298 times:
Recently an AA pilot turned up at MAN apparently drunk. He was arrested. He was found to be 8 times over the limit. He was charged. He was sent to trial. He was found NOT guilty. So we should wait and see. Here are the details: http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/wo...us_and_americas/article1550909.ece
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