Airbubba
I would say less than half of these cases ever get media attention.
If you mean when a pilot is arrested and/or prosecuted then that is definitely not correct.
If you mean when the police are not involved then, even on your estimate, the figure remains very low.
This is a perennial news story ……. unfortunately.
Perennial, but fortunately not frequent.
Royal Brunei, LHR, 2004
Finnair, Manchester, 2004
Emirates, LHR, 2006
United, LHR, 2008 (Court March 2009)
Thomson, Birmingham, 2009
American, LHR, 2009
United LHR 2009 (Court Feb 2010)
Taking into account that the UK has approaching 1 million departures per year, the majority of which have at least 2 pilots (more on long flights), a total of 7 pilots in 6 years may help put what some claim to be a ‘problem’ into proper perspective.
It's inevitable that such cases generate high profile news stories, partly because they are so rare and partly because they provide great scope for melodramatic reporting.
However, it is unfortunate (for the pilot concerned and for the reputation of professional pilots generally) that the press almost invariably describe the pilot as ‘drunk’ when, in almost all the cases, he/she was not drunk but exceeded the legal limit for pilots which is virtually zero.
(Edited to correct typos)
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