Delta pilot held in drink probe
Thursday, March 3, 2005 Posted: 1333 GMT (2133 HKT)
FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) -- German police detained a Delta Air Lines pilot suspected of being drunk at Frankfurt airport just before he was due to make a flight to Atlanta, a spokeswoman for the airline said Thursday.
The first officer, one of two co-pilots on the Monday flight, was taken to a Frankfurt police station and given a blood-alcohol test. A Frankfurt police spokesman confirmed the pilot was detained and said the test results were not yet known.
"One of the first officers of Delta Flight 27 was detained by local law enforcement representatives in Germany because of alleged alcohol use," a spokeswoman for Delta in Munich said.
"Delta has removed the pilot from active service pending further investigation of this matter." She declined to provide any details about the pilot's name, age or nationality.
She said the February 28 flight, which was carrying 156 passengers to the southern U.S. city, was delayed slightly. The plane departed with a captain and just one first officer rather than two, she said.
Police said the pilot was being investigated for possible charges of dangerous interference in air transport.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/eu...ta.pilot.reut/