Pilot over drink/drive limit removed from aircraft
 

Reported by BBC News this morning.

BBC News - 'Drunk' Flybe pilot arrested before flight

The article just states there was an investigation. It doesn't state the findings of that investigation. Until the outcome is known this is barely news worthy.

Yes it is, they may be innocent, but this is exactly the type of story that news networks want. Are you that green?
Also, the report states that they were breath tested, then arrested. There is a serious clue there.......
And STILL in custody.....

No doubt if he is charged and it goes to court he will be named and shamed and indeed admonished by ppruners alike.

Now being reported in local media, that 'the pilot has been released on police bail, due to appear in court in December. He has not been charged.'

That's utter nonsense, you don't go to court without being charged.
He's either been charged and will go to court, or bailed to return to the police station for charge or release.

classic interview question
 

I'm sure I've been asked in interviews what actions I'd take in this scenario...

I guess it's a very hard call for the whistle blower, and one not taken lightly. I would hope there was at least some discussion of concerns between the crew, with the aim of the suspected offender to fall on one's sword and call in sick.

Whilst there may be a serious clue, it prejudices a case when the implication is of guilt before even a trial takes place. Natural justice requires impatiality. Comments like "There is a serious clue there..." imply that required impartiality has been lost, and projected in a public domain. Even journalists would not be so green as to imply guilt before a trial: the courts would take a dim view of being so green.

Due to the low alcohol limit for flying it is normal for a blood sample to be taken for analysis to back up the results of the breath test machine in the police station, I doubt the police would charge before the results of the blood test become avalable.

It should be remembered that at the low alcohol levels that are set for transport workers breath testing is not 100% reliable, hence the blood test.

You cannot be serious!

What is the difference between these two statements?

You and I can read punctuation and interpret accordingly.
Millions can't or don't.

Turin, true, and difficult to argue with you. Despicable though the headline may be, it is within the rules. Just. It'd be nice to see who was being quoted.

Mike, the question was 'is this newsworthy because he isn't charged'.
My answer was that is was newsworthy, the public are interested and also because the police would not normally keep him in without reason. I implied that it was obvious that something was found. I still imply that. Of course I may be wrong, but I am willing to make a small wager (to charity of course) with anyone who seriously disagrees.
I actually hope he/she is innocent of all charges and would LOVE to be wrong. Of course this is a rumour network, so we are allowed to be wrong you know!!
Normally if you are bailed to appear in court, you are already charged. As mentioned above, you may be bailed for further enquiries. If they are awaiting the results of a blood test, my offer of a wager is a good one, because the breathalyser test may be inconclusive or VERY close to the limit. Lets hope it is below.

Commendable though the politically-correct, gender-neutral references to "he/she" and "they" may be, the BBC link in the very first post does (now) say "A police spokesman confirmed a 48-year-old man was arrested."

The BBC article states that "a fellow crew member became concerned".

As none of us were there, we don't know whether that's because the crew had a drink the previous evening (and there was a "bottle to throttle" concern), or because he appeared to be physically under the influence immediately prior to the operation of the flight.

I understand that NQY flights are operated with EXT-based crews who nightstop?

Sounds like he has been charged and bailed to court.

I might well be wrong but I thought I heard on a Radio 4 news bulletin this morning that he had been charged with drink DRIVING. Perhaps my hearing is worse than I thought or else it was a reporting cock-up. If he was over the drink driving limit then he would be well over the flying limit (which is roughly equivalent to half a pint of bitter).

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:
Note this applies to blood/alcohol only. Breath/alcohol, and indeed urine/alcohol have different figures.

The police amplified this:
The pilot had been

Meanwhile, the R.M.T. is balloting it's Northern line members for strike action in support of a driver who has been sacked for being found in possession of alcohol in his messroom.

Just a subtle difference perhaps between alcohol in the messroom and alcohol in the bloodstream?

Not really a hard call at all when lives are concerned.

I once witnessed this situation. The captain of a five man crew turned up quite obviously the worse for wear. It was known that he had been to a very late party in quarters the night before. His crew gave him some very strong hints that he seemed to have a heavy cold and should declare himself unfit to fly, but like an idiot he tried to bluff it out and continued to prepare for the flight. At that point his crew "blew the whistle" on him to a squadron exec, who immediately had him replaced. I know he received a huge rollicking and possibly some other "unofficial" punishment, but there was never any official disciplinary action. The pilot concerned distinguished himself in the air some years later, and received a gallantry medal for his actions, so perhaps the line that was taken was the best in the circumstances, but doing nothing was never an option.