JW411, you didn’t mishear the drink-driving bit. It was in the written BBC report as well. I too was puzzled.
I had occasion to talk both to the CAA, and to Devon and Cornwall Police, about it today. Both said it had been misreported. CAA said:
For flight crew (and air traffic controllers) the blood/alcohol limit is 20 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. (This is set out in the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003). For context, the UK drink drive limit is 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres.
Note this applies to blood/alcohol only. Breath/alcohol, and indeed urine/alcohol have different figures.
The police amplified this:
Pilots, air crew, air traffic control, amongst others, have a lower legal breath alcohol limit which is 9 microgrammes per 100ml in breath compared to the Road Traffic Act 1988 which is 35 microgrammes per 100ml in breath. The equivalent is 20 ml in blood whereas the Road Traffic Act 1988 is 80ml in blood.
The pilot was tested using a Home Office Type Approved device and provided a breath specimen over the prescribed limit of 9 microgrammes. He was then taken to custody and dealt with accordingly.
The pilot had been
…. arrested at Newquay Airport at around 9am on Wednesday 29 October on suspicion of being over the prescribed limit for carrying out an ancillary function, ie preparing to fly having reported for duty.
The man has been bailed until 8 December where (sic) he will report to Newquay station.