When flight crew gets tested for alcohol consumption, that is sort of understandable.
Usually done at the gate, or somewhere in some office at the airport, right?
Well, listen to this....
A few years back a KLM B737 was taxiing out to its departure runway at AMS. It was stopped, ON THE TAXI TRACK, by the police, who entered the a/c and breathalized the flight crew.
Result: clear, no alcohol detected, continue your flight.
The crew was so fed up with the whole thing that they taxied it straight to the first available gate and reported not fit to fly.
Just to give everyone a warning where this all could lead to.

Cheers!

Just SLF, but common-sense dictates that the persons at the pointy-end are NOT going to allow a colleague to play with the controls in an impaired state.

That's unless they're ALL "3-sheets to the wind" and bravado overcomes the fear of being first to the scene of the accident.

The CC also have a horse in this race and are usually in a good position to be aware if their driver is under the weather.

I implicitly trust the self-monitoring of these highly -skilled professionals who have a huge investment in their chosen career.

The over-zealousness of egotistical "jobsworths" is unwarranted,poor CRM and highly unlikely to be cost-effective.

Their efforts would be much better directed at pax who'se excess consumption only manifests itself when the flight is already underway.

Re: Cockney Steve:

Wot 'ee sed.

We are always tested BEFORE flight.

So the answer is simple - drink during the flight (my airline has beautiful bottles in First Class) ..... ?

If police comes in my aircraft, we will prevent htem from entering the flight deck, just to make tem understand they cannot do everything they want) and by contrast be ready to get their test somewhere else (in the galley)

When in the galley over the Indian Ocean, can we drink and split immediately after (french way of tasting wine ?)
I always smell the opened bottles, to make the flight attendants smile (always the same joke I know, but we have so many of them, I can afford this)

And... drinking in uniform at hotels bars .. how can passengers know from which airline we are ?
Sometimes when travelling as a turist, I get dress as a generic pilot (I still have plenty of fake or oudated ID, same for strips) and proceed to the bar for a couple of whiskies - is that allowed, am I liable to any persecution by anybody ?

The real worry here is who monitors the testing process and those testing? In some countries this is a real issue; an ex merchant navy colleague has described how, on arrival in certain West African countries, a can of oil would routinely be tipped near his ship. Soon after, an official with lots of gold braid would turn up, arrest the Captain for environmental crimes -pending payment of a large "fine". How long before alcohol testing becomes a similar cash generator?

Does anyone know how many airline accidents can be attributed to an intoxicated flight crew if, any?

My guess would be - NONE.

Prove me wrong.

You really are a jerk SM. fox niner said,You want mentally pissed off crew out there flying?

Did a pilot give your missus one? You are one sad individual. Get some treatment.

Give him a break. What`s sauce for the goose is source for the gander.

Alcohol testing for "security" closely followed by passengers.

Mind, the spaniards running most of the uk main airports would cough.

Boozed-up pilots
 

So Shell Management, is this subject a hobby of yours? It really bores the pants of us (sober) pro pilots, but as long as it makes you feel good, just keep blathering on. However, if you were flight crew yourself, you would be in full agreement with the KL crew's actions. We know better.

Mr Gibson is right about that. :ok:

I agree its not a big problem - unless it happens on a flight you are innocently on.;)

Its another hole in the cheese that can be plugged with good compliance monitoring.:ok:

Yes, I can see how random or systematic testing of flight crew is really going to stop a cowboy in the middle of the desert.... :rolleyes:

Considering the poor safety record of medicine and its highly safety critical nature, thats an excellent idea.:ok:

The same for ambulance drivers too;)

BBC News - Ambulance driver admits drink charge over 999 crash

According to the regs, I can't legally take on passengers who show signs of intoxication. I think it's time to start testing everyone who intends to set foot on an aircraft.

SM, I expect you to be fully in favor of this notion. It's in the best interest of safety, after all.

Managers, especially accountants, are responsible for making grave decisions these days (eg fuel loads, fatigue, crewing), so how about they be breathalyzed on reporting for work so we can be assured that the decisions they make are sober ones. Unlike what seems to be happening. :E

Brian A,

I suspect SM will only be satisified that flying is truely safe when there is a (suitably breathalised) non-pilot senior manager riding jumpseat and carrying a cattle prod onboard every commercial flight.

I was pax on an aircraft out of Cyprus. Two would be pax were high on something and had been disruptive and abusive at the gate. They were segregated from the other pax but allowed to go to the aircraft.

Another pax pointed them out to the snr FA and she denied boarding.

Now it got interesting.

The crew would not allow them to board and the Cypriots wanted shot of them from Cyprus.

It was a greek stand-off until the crew eventually won. Don't know the upshot but we were then delayed an hour while the baggage was offloaded.

Must say, full marks to the baggage handlers finding two bags in hundreds on the apron in the dark.

Absolutely! And to follow on, would it be reasonable for Flight Crews to expect the testing officers to have themselves been tested? Can crews require that a testing officer produce a written confirmation of being sober when reporting for duty? If this is not produced, can crews demand that the testing officer undergo an alcohol test there and then to demonstrate fitness to administer alcohol tests? Maybe it's time for some clear legislation on this matter.