PIA pilot suspended at LBA for violating rules!

[LBIA]

Hi

Last nights PIA776 service from Leeds/Bradford to Islamabad has been delayed by up to 14 hours, it was due out at 19:30 last night but the aircraft (A310, AP-BEQ) still parked up on the apron showing am 11:30 estimated departure, According to the following news report a PIA spokesman has confirmed that one of the pilots has been suspended for violating rules.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-11...r-flight-delay

I have heard this morning that the said person involved turned up at the airport last night intoxicated and that he may have been arrested by the Police. This has not been confirmed as yet though.

[keel beam]

This article seems to provide the answer

'Drunk' pilot arrested - Yorkshire Evening Post

[Basil]

Oh dear, bang goes a career. Somehow doubt that they have a rehab scheme in PIA.
OTOH, he may be well connected

[Skyjob]

Suspected drunk airline captain charged

Pilot Irfan Faiz to face court on aircraft drink charge

[etrang]

Somehow doubt that they have a rehab scheme in PIA

They don't sound like a particularly supportive employer.

"The pilot will face legal proceedings in the UK and he will be sacked if convicted there.

"The PIA will not provide any legal assistance to Faiz and he will himself arrange such an assistance there."

[beardy]

A state for Muslims, not a Muslim state. Constitutionally it is secular, the judiciary try hard to keep it as such, but it is difficult given the politics.

Alcoholism is recognised as an illness, if so diagnosed I would expect ANY and EVERY company to support a sick colleague. There are protocols in some companies to confidentially report colleagues who display the symptoms and require treatment.

In some 'dry' countries/states one has to register as an alcoholic to be served booze.

[loc22550]

Your expectation is quite high Beardy..
Practically,Which airline is gone give a second chance to one of his pilot who get caught under the influence of alcohol when reporting for duty..?

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<Alcoholism is recognised as an illness,>>

Right.. and if the man is ill he shouldn't be allowed anywhere near an aeroplane.

[de facto]

There is a saying in China that goes like this:'a colleague in need is a colleague indeed'
He up and should pay the legal and professional consequences but should be supported during this ordeal.

[Artie Fufkin]

Do the police go on a special training course on how to make a ridiculous statement to the press?

arrested an airline pilot on suspicion of carrying out an activity ancillary to an aviation function while impaired by drink.

The Plain English Campaign would have a field day.

[beardy]

Heathrow Director, you are quite right, hence the benfits of a confidential reporting system.

Just do a search of all the other posts this site has on the same subject, you will come across a very moving story by one who suffered and was supported.

[Artie Fufkin]

Fair enough but The Plain English Campaign do have a point;

Sadly, thanks to the bureaucrats of public service industries, local councils, banks, building societies, insurance companies and government departments, we have learnt to accept an official style of writing that is inefficient and often unfriendly.

Whether it's the police spokesperson or the legislation that is at fault, it sounds patently ridiculous.

[phiggsbroadband]

Just to add some detail.. In the UK the drink/driving limit is 35ug/100ml of breath. All police portable intoximeters will only give a fail indication when over that limit.
The Aviation limit is 4 times less at 9ug/100ml. and would need to be measured, not by the portable meter, but by a larger calibrated machine at the nearest police station.

[eglnyt]

would need to be measured, not by the portable meter, but by a larger calibrated machine at the nearest police station.

Not entirely true. The portable meter in both the driving and aviation cases is used to provide the Officer with grounds to arrest the individual on suspicion of committing the offence. All portable devices in use are apparently capable of measuring the level with sufficient accuracy to do that for the airline cases as well as the driving ones.

The device at the station is used to provide the evidence to charge the individual. The original guidance from the Authorities on the Transport Act 2003 was that although these station machines were accurate enough to convict in both driving and aviation cases the evidence in aviation cases would initially be from blood or urine samples. It isn't clear whether or not that guidance is still being followed.

[beamender99]

The BBC has just posted

An airline pilot has pleaded guilty to being drunk just before he was due to fly an Airbus from Leeds Bradford Airport to Pakistan.

Irfan Faiz, 54, from Pakistan, was detained by police in the cockpit of a Pakistan International airways airliner shortly after 22:00 BST on Wednesday.

Leeds Magistrates' Court heard Mr Faiz was four-and-a-half times over the legal limit to fly.

[deSitter]

Alcoholism is recognised as an illness, if so diagnosed I would expect ANY and EVERY company to support a sick colleague. There are protocols in some companies to confidentially report colleagues who display the symptoms and require treatment.

Getting drunk while in charge of an international flight is mental illness alright. The treatment is a job at 7-11 flying the candy counter.

[Basil]

BBC News - Pilot Irfan Faiz was four times over alcohol limit

The court heard he was four-and-a-half times over the legal limit to fly.

Which is just over the legal limit for driving in the UK.

[FLCH]

Getting drunk while in charge of an international flight is mental illness alright. The treatment is a job at 7-11 flying the candy counter.

Yeah buddy.... tell that to Lyle Prouse

[Max Angle]

One more step down the road to random testing in the UK, won't be long now.

[Herod]

Remanded in custody until 18th October. I guess that's because he hasn't got a UK address. At least he won't have to pay hotel bills. Wonder what Armley is like these days?