'Boozy' pilot grounded
Apr 4 2004
By Caroline Wheeler
A pilot was forced to leave the cockpit of a plane at Birmingham International Airport after being accused of being DRUNK, it was claimed last night.
Police are believed to have been called after a member of the public saw the airman drinking in the airport lounge just before his flight.
The pilot was spoken to by cops but shrugged them off to walk air-side and board the plane which was due to fly 200 passengers to a city in central Asia.
But he was removed from the cockpit by concerned ground crew who were alerted by police.
The shocking drama took place two weeks ago, days before tough new powers were brought in to allow cops to breathalyse airline crew they suspect of drinking.
A police source tipped off the Sunday Mercury about the plane drama - and a top Midland pilot told us it was not an isolated incident.
The source said: “The airline pilot and other crew members had been seen drinking at their Birmingham hotel before they made their way to the airport.
“One member of the public saw them and was so worried he followed them to Birmingham International Airport.
“But it is thought the pilot and crew continued to drink when they reached the airport lounge.
“Police were alerted and they approached the pilot who became very shirty and made his way air-side.”
The source claimed airport ground crew were alerted by cops and they eventually ejected the pilot from his cockpit and then the plane. He was replaced by another airman.
“Groundstar [which employs airport ground crew] did an amazing job and stopped the pilot from flying,” said the source.
“But God knows what would have happened had the plane taken off.”
A top Midland airline pilot told the Sunday Mercury that he was not surprised by the incident.
He said: “This kind of thing is not an isolated incident. I have heard of many similar stories in the years I’ve been flying.
“If a pilot is suspected of drinking even a small amount he will be removed from the plane and sent home.
“He is told not to return to duty for 48 hours but he can then be put back in command.”
But under tough new government guidelines introduced last week, pilots who are caught drinking and flying could face a life ban from the skies.
Under the new system, police will be equipped with breath-test kits to detect 20 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood --a quarter of the drink drive limit.
The move came after two British Airways pilots were arrested last month in Norway when their cockpit was found reeking of booze. The men later resigned.
Virgin Atlantic pilot [redacted for PPRuNe] was arrested on December 19 at Washington Dulles International Airport after security staff smelled alcohol on his breath. He was preparing to fly a Boeing 747 to London Heathrow.
[redacted for PPRuNe], 55, has been indicted on a charge of attempting to operate an aircraft while under the influence of an intoxicating drug or alcohol. He denies the charge.
Last year, we spoke to a Midland pilot who lifted the lid on the boozing culture among British airline crews.
The senior captain said pilots and cabin staff regularly drank heavily the night before going on duty - putting passenger lives at risk.
West Midlands Police refused to confirm or deny whether they had been called to the airport two weeks ago.
But a spokesman said: “Police powers to breath-test airline personal did not come into force until last week.
“Therefore we did not breath test anyone at the airport on the date mentioned.”
http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/...name_page.html