Navigator From Sweden, joined Jul 2001, 1030 posts, RR: 16 Posted (1 year 1 week 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 4504 times:
This tuesday Police at Stockholm - Arlanda caught a drunk SAS-pilot while he was performing a walk around check before departure. Police was performing a routine check when they found that the pilot was under influence. The pilot was the first officer on the flight and was on duty preparing the flight and intending to fly as copilot. A standby pilot was available so the airplane could take off on time without any delay.
garpd From UK - Scotland, joined Aug 2005, 2291 posts, RR: 4 Reply 2, posted (1 year 1 week 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 4356 times:
He had .01 of alcohol in his blood. That hardly constitutes him being "drunk", merely over the prescribed limit. Still inexcusable, but with such low tolerance an easy mistake to make (albeit unprofessional).
Drunk conjures up the wrong image in this respect, he was talking, walking and performing duties just fine.
Drunk people do not. They stagger, slur their speech and have problems getting keys into locks.
Navigator From Sweden, joined Jul 2001, 1030 posts, RR: 16 Reply 3, posted (1 year 1 week 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 4322 times:
Quoting garpd (Reply 2): He had .01 of alcohol in his blood. That hardly constitutes him being "drunk", merely over the prescribed limit.
No no, he had 1,0 promille in his blood!!! He was drunk
"The man had a blood alcohol content of over 1.0 promille, which is 0.8 promille over the limit. The limit in Sweden is a blood alcohol content exceeding 0.2 promille alcohol, both for driving and flying. "
Navigator From Sweden, joined Jul 2001, 1030 posts, RR: 16 Reply 5, posted (1 year 1 week 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 4085 times:
Quoting sweair (Reply 4): In this country you can barely smell a beer and drive anymore..
1,0 is high no matter where you are in the world. What are you driving at? Was his action excusable just because we have strict alcohol regulations in Sweden? Do you want a pilot under influence of alcohol on your flight?
zeke From Hong Kong, joined Dec 2006, 7720 posts, RR: 73 Reply 6, posted (1 year 1 week 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 4007 times:
Quoting Navigator (Reply 3): No no, he had 1,0 promille in his blood!!! He was drunk
The article was saying he failed a breathalyser test, the breathalyser test is used to produce an equivalent BAC, it cannot measure BAC directly.
Most places around the world, the handheld devices are used to as an indication, people who fail that test normally undergo secondary testing with a device which is suitable for submission to a court.
It is possible to fail an initial breathalyser test, and upon further investigation with secondary screening found not to be over the limit. I have seen this a number of times on this Australian TV series "RBT".
People for example on high protein diets have failed initial breathalyser screening with zero actual BAC, from memory this happened to an EK pilot departing MAN. The failure of the initial test made the news, when he was cleared with zero BAC, it did not make the news.
My point being, if a pilot fails an initial breathalyser test, it is appropriate for them to be stood down immediately and undergo secondary screening. It is however inappropriate in my view to characterise someone as being drunk based upon a handheld breathalyser screening test when a court would normally require a more accurate device.
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CXfirst From Norway, joined Jan 2007, 2694 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (1 year 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 2093 times:
Reports are saying that he will lose his licence automatically for at least one year (can become permanent through court), and that he could face 6 months of jail after a court case. Even if he does get his licence back, can't see any airline hiring him.
Had the actual level been over 1,00 instead of just under at 0,96, the punishment would have increased by quite a bit. So, in those terms, the pilot was lucky.
Navigator From Sweden, joined Jul 2001, 1030 posts, RR: 16 Reply 14, posted (1 year 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 1786 times:
Quoting HAWK21M (Reply 13): Rather the pax were lucky that this was caught in time.
Nothing would probably have happened. They did also have a captain that was sober preparing to command the flight. You never know but if he would have realized his copilot was not sober he would certainly have refused him to be part of the crew on the flight. And even if they had departed the Captain would have ensured safety on the flight to the highest standards.
MillwallSean From Brunei, joined Apr 2008, 1115 posts, RR: 5 Reply 15, posted (1 year 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 1421 times:
This is a professional employee, knowing full well that if caught with alcohol in his blood he will face severe consequences. Knowing all this and still showing up at work with such levels makes it very likely that the man has alcohol problems. He wasn't spotted by his coworkers, neither the pilot or the stewardesses reported him.
This was the police that stood and breath tested him when he arrived at the airplane, they have started doing this in Sweden regularly from 2012.
He will automatically have his license suspended and faces a hefty fine and if really unlucky a possible small prison sentence (maximum up to 6 months but more likely just a fine of 120 * the amount the judge thinks his income warrants him pay) This will not make things better. His future is indeed bleak and I really hope that he receives the help he desperately needs at this moment.
He is facing a situation where he has lost all and he will be very worried about stuff like mortgages and possible family.
Alcoholism is a disease and this man needs help. Knowing way to much about the Swedish social security system and the resources companies have available for employees there I assume SK will have to assist him in the initial stage at least.
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