American Airlines pilot arrested just before transatlantic takeoff

[left-of-center2012]

An American Airlines pilot has been arrested on suspicion of being drunk a few minutes before he was scheduled to take off from the UK's Manchester Airport. Officers were called shortly before 11 a.m. on Thursday after receiving a report that a pilot "may have been under the influence of alcohol," according to a statement from Greater Manchester Police.

A 62-year-old man was arrested and has been bailed pending further inquiries, police said.
The unnamed pilot was due to fly from Manchester to Philadelphia at 11:05 a.m. (6:05 a.m. ET), but flight AA735 was canceled in the wake of his arrest, according to the UK's Press Association news agency.

In a statement, American Airlines confirmed an employee had been detained, adding: "Safety is our highest priority and we apologize to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans." Passengers on the affected flight were rebooked on alternative flights, the airline said.

The arrest is the latest in a string of incidents involving pilots and alcohol. In November, a Japanese pilot found to be more than nine times over the legal alcohol limit before a scheduled flight from London Heathrow was sentenced to 10 months in a UK prison.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/08/uk/american-airlines-pilot-arrest-manchester-gbr-scli-intl/

[Historic NY]

1. Doesn't say if he was American or British....

British crews also fly AA. I had an entire British crew into London from Philly in Sept.

[Ms. Toad]

2. Not generally a fan of pre-emptive breathalyzers -

But when a pilot is responsible for ferrying up to 850 passengers, it might be nice not to have to rely on an anonymous report by a fellow crew member (those most likely to be aware of the inebriation) to be confident the pilot was not drunk.

I'd even be fine with a no-legal-consequences breathalyzer, so we don't run into questions of warrantless searches and self-incrimination.