Summary
A Southwest Airlines pilot, David Paul Allsop, was removed from the cockpit and arrested for DUI before a flight from Savannah, Georgia, to Chicago.
Authorities reported signs of alcohol impairment, though his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) has not been disclosed.
FAA regulations prohibit pilots from flying within 8 hours of alcohol use or with a BAC of 0.04% or higher.
The incident follows strict FAA rules, including random alcohol testing for pilots.
This DUI charge is probably going to be dropped in favor of federal charges by the FAA. Maybe not and he’ll get both state and federal charges. The legal limit is not the same as cars. It’s 0.04%, half of the automotive limit as noted in the article.
The pilot will be suspended immediately.
If guilty;
The pilot will lose all pilot certificates
Lose pilot medical certificate
Be immediately fired. No airline allows aircraft OUI incidents
Face possible incarceration
Get some nasty fines
Alcoholism sucks. Sometimes it can also just be a shitty one-time decision. This dude is fucked because they pulled him from the flight deck. If you’re caught before getting in the flight deck it’s still gonna suck and you’ll still lose everything, but you have a hope of flying commercially again with a lot of effort.
Fortunately, commercial pilots in the US have access to mental health resources to help treat things like substance abuse or the underlying factors that could lead to it.
Oh wait, I misspoke.
What I meant to say was commercial pilots in the US can not seek mental health resources AT ALL or they get their license revoked by the FAA. Silly me.
Wrong and right.
In the context of alcohol, you have to notify your substance abuse program before you “get caught”. IOW, if you know you have a drinking problem and call before you check in for duty, you will be removed from flying and placed in the program. You’ll piss people off, but you won’t get fired. If you show up, check in for work, then get caught, you’re fucked. No program for you.
As far as other mental health issues go, yeah. It can be really, really hard to get treated without jeopardizing your job, which can also be part of the reason why alcohol is such a problem in the industry. Self medicating away a problem. Luckily antidepressants are becoming acceptable.
After you complete the program, do you go back to full flying status? Or do they put you in a corner until you quit because your career there is over?
If you legit successfully go through the program you’re good. I know two people who have done it and they have mixed reviews (one was happy to have kicked a habit, the other was grumpy about what they felt were unnecessary difficulties) but both are still employed and flying today. If you fail the program, you’re out. It’s not a joke, everyone gets involved. The FAA, FAA medical, Union medical (the unions often provide the program) physicians… it can be long and probably uncomfortable.