PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - BA Pilot arrested in ARN ???
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Old 1st Feb 2003, 20:26
  #152 (permalink)  
Flying Lawyer
 
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Reading Flapsforty's translation of the Swedish newspaper article "Unclear if drunk pilot will be charged", I suppose there's some small comfort in seeing that Britain isn't the only country with trashy newspapers who don't allow facts to get in the way of a sensationalist story. Drunk???
But depressing, regardless of country, when people in authority release information which they know will fuel 'trial by newspaper'.

If the Captain is prosecuted, evidence of his blood/alcohol reading will be adduced in a Court. That is the proper time and place to release such information into the public domain.
If he isn't prosecuted, then the information should not be released, except in confidence to the relevant aviation authority and/or his employers.
In my view, the authorities should not have released any information whatsoever about the incident except to his company. The proper answer to any journalists' questions should have been "No Comment" or, at the very most, a short formal statement simply confirming that "A pilot has been arrested and investigations are continuing."
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