SJ airline pilot accused of trying to fly drunk
Dutch authorities pulled an American pilot from a passenger jet shortly before takeoff today and accused him of being "beschonken." In English, that's "drunk."
Dutch authorities pulled an American pilot from a passenger jet shortly before takeoff today and accused him of being "beschonken." In English, that's "drunk."
The pilot - identified only as a 52-year-old captain from Woodbury, N.J. - was taken into custody in the cockpit of his plane at Schiphol International Airport near Amsterdam.
Delta flight 35 was canceled after a crew member was found "unfit for duty," an airline spokesman told the Inquirer. The 767-300 with 196 passengers had been bound for Newark Liberty International.
Police say they arrested the captain after an anonymous tip. A breath test found he had a blood alcohol content of 0.023 percent - a hair above the legal limit in the Netherlands.
The pilot paid a $911 fine and was released. He has been suspended pending the results of Delta's investigation.
Dutch law prohibits all flight crew members from imbibing alcohol 10 hours before takeoff.
The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating the incident.
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