Pilot Sentenced
 

Pilot sentenced to six months in prison for flying plane while drunk
By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 4:15 PM on 5th November 2011
A United Express pilot found guilty of flying a commercial flight while drunk will serve six months in federal prison.
Aaron Jason Cope of Norfolk, Virginia, was sentenced on Friday in Denver federal court.
Judge John Tunheim also ordered the 33-year-old to serve six months in home detention after completing his prison term followed by two years of supervised release.
Aaron Cope, 33, was co-pilot on the flight from Austin, Texas to Denver in December 2009 when the plane's captain smelled alcohol on his breath
Cope was convicted in June of flying under the influence on a flight from Austin, Texas, to Denver in December 2009.

The plane's captain thought he smelled alcohol on Cope's breath and a breathalyser showed Cope had a blood alcohol content of 0.09 percent.

The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits anyone from flying with a blood alcohol content of 0.04 percent or higher.
Cope was co-pilot on the flight of a regional jet with a 70-passenger capacity.
The plane Cope was co-piloting for the United Express Flight was operated by Shuttle America, a unit of Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings Inc.
According to court documents, the flight's captain, Robert Obodzinski, testified that although his co-pilot 'appeared to be thinking and speaking clearly, every few minutes during the flight (Obodzinski) detected an unusual odor, which he eventually concluded was the smell of an alcoholic beverage'.
When the plane landed in Denver, Obodzinski said he 'leaned over and took a big whiff' and ascertained that the smell was coming from Cope.
Obodzinski reportedly told Cope: 'If you have any problem taking a Breathalyser, call off sick and get out of here."
Cope replied: "Well, I guess I better call off sick then."
Cope was ordered to report to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his time by January 3, according to a statement from John Walsh, U.S. attorney for the District of Colorado.
'The public rightly expects that airline pilots will not drink and fly,' Walsh said.
U.S. District Judge John Tunheim pronounced Aaron Cope guilty in a 15-page decision issued after a non-jury trial in Denver
'Because flying while intoxicated is a serious crime and puts the lives of passengers and people on the ground in danger, we will prosecute it swiftly and effectively -- every time.'
In the decision in June, Judge Tunheim wrote: 'The court finds the evidence overwhelming that Cope was under the influence of alcohol during the flight.

'It is extremely fortunate, particularly for the passengers of Flight 7687, that there is no evidence of Cope making poor decisions, affecting safety.'
The plane Cope was co-piloting during the flight was operated by Shuttle America, a unit of Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings Inc.

United Airlines is a unit of United Continental Holdings

Stupid boy.

What's the limit for driving in the US?

It is now .08 for driving all across the US. It used to be .10.

Unless you are licensed to drive commercial trucks or busses.

If you hold a Commercial Driver's License, (CDL), the Federal limit is .04. In most, if not all, states, that limit applies even when you are driving your personal, non-commercial vehicle. Some states may have even stricter limits.

The limit for driving is very individual and depends on various factors such as body weight, gender, etc.

The main issue people face is when they get caught.

Cope replied: "Well, I guess I better call off sick then."

So why didn't he?

The guy deserved what he got. However, guilty of being beyond the legally permited limit, yes. Drunk, probably not.

A long time ago, one of the BA selection Q's was " you meet the crew in the hotel lobby, the Capt doesn't seem to be completely sober, what will you do"?
Of course the answer they wanted is that you were going to shop him, then contact your H.R specialist enquiring after his welfare & trying to ensure he received counselling etc etc. . . the usual politically correct stuff.
I wrongly (I suspect, with the benefit of hindsight) answered that I was going to suggest he called in sick & that I would be happy to confirm subsequently that he looked unwell, whilst making discrete enquiries of colleagues as to whether anyone had given them cause for concern in this respect, and if it seemed this was the case, having a quiet word with a company doctor.
Of course the real answer was, "well, if he is like that, WHAT state do you imagine I am in ? Hell, I just night-stopped with him! " how different were attitudes 25 yrs ago.
I am not bemoaning this change,I would question however, whether the rush to demonise someone who perhaps overdid it the night before,has been matched by widespred availability of a non-punitive system, to attempt to help people through whatever problems they have (& it is seldom just a desire to be a p1sshead, it is usually something far more serious /fundamental in their life)
Generally, responsible/educated individuals are aware of their obligations, and will not (except in rare cases by simple misjudgement) put themselves in this position, risking everything , just to have 1 last noggin.
25 years ago, everyone knew who the company "drinking men" were, it was not such a short list, and was seen more as the norm, than nowadays. The ones who were at the extreme end of the scale were also known, yet I never heard of anyone being counseled, for what was, in some cases, a fairly serious drink problem. I doubt if much progress has been made since then, the main difference being that checking/trapping has gone up the scale.
Our job & the nomadic life-style it imposes on many of us, qualify us as pretty hot candidates for this sort of thing. On the inevitable occasions when it goes wrong, it would be nice if the "holier than thous" could direct their indignation at tackling the problem, rather than simple admonishment of the individual.
"Play the ball, not the man" !

Out of interest - what will happen to Mr Cope in this instance ?
6 months in a federal jail, followed by 6 months of house arrest. His name will be all over Google for many years, so presumably major airlines will be loath to touch him.

Yes he made a mistake. Yes he could have done something stupid while flying and killed other people.

However, what happens to the rest of his life ? Will any aviation related company agree to hire him in a year's time, or is he going to end up flipping burgers for a living ?

He made his choice, it's called responsibility. Flipping burgers is a living too.

Captplaystation
 

Thank you for one of the most well balanced and wise post I have seen on these forums in a long time.

Its a real shame that wisdom like yours is in such short supply.

Yes, I didn't quite understand that either :confused:

I didn't understand it either but how did he get breathalised if only he and the Captain knew ?

Did the Captain ask for him to be breathalised ?

From the DA's earlier press release about the conviction:


United Express pilot found guilty of operating an aircraft under the influence of alcohol

Thanks. That explains it.

No, play the man. The ball doesn't fly the aircraft...

A lot of what you say is true, Capt Playstation, however the bottom line is that you can't have "drinking men" flying aircraft while under the influence... and lifestyle is a poor excuse for such behaviour - pilots know what is expected of them, it is drummed into them by regulation and company policy. Everyone knows the rules; only the truly foolish (or utterly helpless) risk their careers to feed their addiction. The world changed when those BA pilots got caught flying shortly after being filmed drinking.

If you can't exercise the required level of self-control, you should choose a different career (I suggest medicine, they all drink like fishes).

And yes, I too have sent a few people home when they showed up for work rather the worse for wear...

Thats harsh!

Come on, who here hasnt been pissed flying?
I myself, was on a BENDER not so long ago, hotel room at 2am, up again at 4.30am, holding breath going through security in a London airport (as you do :p ) along with the other pilot. And that was after an 11 pint stella session!

The poor guys life is ruined. Captain must not have liked him!

That may still be the norm in some places overseas with a strong drinking culture, and, I have no reason to doubt your word, but those days are long gone in the U.S...:=

Had someone else noticed the alcohol on his breath and reported him-That is what the capt noticed-The captain would have gone down too for not reporting him.

I have a feeling.......
 

Room party :E

Notice how the captain had to call his union rep, chief pilot, and HR person..CYA, right down the line..probably because he flew with the guy FIRST, THEN decided AFTER the flight to bust him...

Captain probably could have gotten in trouble for even doing the flight...so he was probably playing the game of only noticing the stinker 'enroute'.

Anyway...at your typical airline interview these days, it's a crapshoot if they want you to turn the capt in, or let it go, or call the chief pilot. Every outfit is different...some looking more for robots then others...

How can you smell an alcoholic bev after it's been consumed???

It usually takes on a different odor from my experience. Had his f/o flown another sector he'd probably been in the clear. 0.02/h down from .09

The Captain was after this poor dude's azz clearly. I've flown with some chaps in the past and asked them if they could read the check list - no worries.

Wow what an ugly subject to talk about. Fact is the high stress of the job ranks among others probably in the top 5. It is easy to go out and drink to much and blow a .04 after 8 hours of sleep (the convicted was twice that after the flight). No doubt there are uncounted un documented cases where in these modern times many professional pilots have exceeded these limits on duty. As had been stated this professional heavy drinker was viewed as as competent in his duty despite his BAC level. We do not do this!

What bothers me is that the observant captain did not order him to to not fly as smelling alcohol on his breath pre-flight. I also disagree with the ignorant Judaical system for his criminal sentence. Something along the line of license suspension and rehab would have been sufficient. It would be a black mark on his profession none the less. Alcoholism is a developed disease. It is rare for the inflicted to ask for help due to the repercussions , this is a cultural problem.

Turning up drunk for work is simply not acceptable. If a captain had points out other forms of noncompliance (busting minima, continuing unstabilized approaches, what have you), is that also "being after some poor dude's azz"?

We all have professional obligations. When the crew fails to meet them it's is absolutely the captains prerogative, not to say responsibility, to enforce them.

It's not a matter of leniency and camraderie, this is about professional safety standards.

As a co-pilot my mate and I once over-indulged "The Lunch Time Beer" that one might partake of to assist the afternoon sleep prior to a nighttime departure.

We didn't consider ourselves drunk, but we sat at the back of the crew bus to avoid conversation, and when on the aircraft my mate, who's sector it was to navigate pulled up the curtain at the Nav. table and imbibed 100% oxygen,whilst I dictated the check list in the right hand seat as carefully as I could and avoided direct chat.

The Captain started up, pushed back, taxied out, lined up on the runway, then quietly said - You have control.

After I'd fought the beast to top of climb and engaged the autopilot, he said - You won't do that again, will you ?

I didn't.

I wish this forum had a "like" option, I appreciate the very real and honest two post's above.

take his license away and hand it over to me.:mad:

A similar thing happened to an ex-Captain of mine when he'd been a Brittania co-pilot. A night with too many beers and he turned up the worse for wear with a long trip ahead of him....

After the Captain had flown the take-off, he popped the autopilot in and handed control to my ex-Capt chum. Who then had to fly without the benefit of another pilot beside him for the next few hours - with an ever-worsening hangover. After eventually returning to his seat and taking control for the approach and landing, all the Captain said to my chum was "Learn anything today?"......

About 20 years ago I reported for a ferry from a Large Airport in the North West, my base, to a Similar Sized Airport in the South East, the captains base. The Captain, who was quite famous for his boozing, had clearly not had too much sleep the night before. He Told me I could fly it down. I refused. I figured it would be better for me to monitor him and comunicate, rather than let him. But I really hoped he would go sick. He reluctantly agreed to fly. So I let him, remember it was only him and me on the aeroplane. He managed ok, but I think he leaned his lesson. He left shortly after.

But, and I ask you all to consider this. Very few aviation incedents indeed have had consumption of alcohol as a contributary cause, let alone a primary one. Indeed when I was working in my airline's flight safety office and reserched the subject, I could find only one such incedent involving a passenger carrying jet transport.

Well, traditionally he might be able to quietly eek out an existence undetected flying night freight with a non-sked operation. However recent FAA background check requirements make that less likely.

That other 'last refuge of a scoundrel', expat flying, has given some a chance to rehabilitate their reputations and even embellish their qualifications, there is another thread here on that subject. Hey, it worked for me.:)

If Mr. Cope's former employer has a HIMS program (see: HIMS - A Substance Abuse Treatment Program For Commercial Pilots ), there is a possibility that he may be returned to his former position with seniority intact after serving prison time, going through rehab and perhaps earning all of his flight ratings from scratch. Lyle Prouse has posted here on PPRuNe about his pioneering return to duty after the infamous Northwest Airlines alcohol incident in Fargo, ND in 1990. A profile of Captain Prouse is here: Lyle Prouse

Prouse and his FE at the time, Joe Balzer have differing views of the events leading up to incident. Balzer currently flies for American Airlines and his version of the Fargo incident is given in this preview of his recent book: Flying Drunk: The True Story of a ... - Joseph Balzer - Google Books

We don't get sober unless we are made to!
 

Please allow me to quibble a little at the margins :O

In my personal experience as an alcoholic: Alcoholism is "a disease that develops". I.e. once you have it, it always gets worse. I believe that about 80 per cent of alcoholics acquire it genetically. We don't know how the other 20% get it. We do know that without certain genetic attributes, no person can swallow enough alcohol to pick up an addiction to the stuff! (I am massively over-simplifying here).

I suggest that it is indeed rare for the afflicted to ask for help: about 80 per cent of us die of the disease before we do that. And none of us do so willingly!

I personally did not "ask for help" until the pain of the repercussions exceeded the bliss available from drinking. I don't know any other alkies who did differently.

What's my point? My point is that alcoholics who survive this disease would be among the first to support harsh and inflexible penalties.

Because we know that without them, we will all die of this disease!

However, I suggest to you that many of these reports of booze in the cockpit are about non-alcoholics. Alcoholics expertly manage their booze consumption so they avoid the most obvious pitfalls. I drank for 26 years and never blew over the limit behind the wheel: alcoholics can do that.

Either way: my vote is keep the penalties, and make them inflexible: because my soon-to-become friends will die if you don't :-)

I can't believe what I am reading
 

I hold a US commercial drivers license and do long distance charter bus operations. We are FORBIDDEN to drink any alcoholic beverage from 12 hours before a trip until we park the bus and leave the yard.

That means if I do a five day three state trip I can not drink alcohol for the entire five days! Three to five day trips are not unusual and it is a pain in the behind to not enjoy a beer for five days 'cause I drink a beer before dinner, wine with dinner, and a scotch after dinner every night if I am off for the next 12 hours.

The NO ALCOHOL rule is absolutely clear at the time we accept our assignments and there is absolutely no room for exceptions.

I am only responsible for 50 people and a 18 ton bus at 65 mph - why should you pilots with so much more responsibility think you should have lower standards than we lowly bus drivers?

It is appalling that any of you can even begin to make an excuse for this guy or consider there is any plausible explanation for his behavior.

And.. because I have a commercial license I am legally drunk at .04 blood alcohol level in any state in the US. Every state, if I am give an alcohol test, will report back to my home state and I will be held to the standards of that state - no matter what the law was in the state in which I was tested.

If I fail a breathalyzer I automatically lose ALL (private and commercial) driving privileges for one year and I will be unemployable as a commercial driver for many years. If the company does hire me - their insurance company will never provide insurance.

We do get random urine and blood tests several times a year - both when we report for work and when we return from a trip. There is no room for negotiations, no room for fudging, and no pity on the part of the company, union, or other drivers.

I'd expect no less from professional pilots.

TacomaSailor,

I hold a HGV C+E licence (Artic, in case you Yanks call it something different), and I can tell ya, it's a lot easier to pull off flying an aircraft convincingly whilst drunk than it is a truck!!!

TacomaSailor

At the rate this economy is going you are probably doing better than the average pilot and with more resilience!

What causes people to seek solace in the bottle?

Crap economy perhaps?

John McGhie
 

A simple over the counter Breathalyzer would surprise many to their BAC in the morning. Not a pilot but as regulated as an AMT I learned my limit this way. The 12hrs bottle to throttle guideline does not work. Size, weight body function.. To many variables.

I still don't get this, the cpt seems to give him the option of calling off sick and goinh home rather than take a breathalyser test, then when the FO says he better call off sick the cpt escorts him off the plane for the breath test??????? I still don't get it, what was the point in the captain offering the option of calling off sick and getting out of there?????:yuk:

Smithy, see "Airbuba" on page one. Looks like Skipper already reported him to the company, union, welfare and anyone else who would listen before returning to the cockpit and offering poor old cojo the option ! Remember too that we are commenting on 'alledged' reporting by the media. They sometimes get it wrong. Like others, I too have faced the problem. At Base, easy. Downroute with 10 hours ahead and no replacement, some careful judgement. No covering the out & out drunk looking to punch everyone in sight & grabbing at every ass (male & female), but the odd rolling of the eyes, slight whiff, "Before shtarts complete" instead of "Before starts complete" requires the Command judgement for which we are all paid fortunes for.........................yeah right !

grounded27:

The average pilot would really had to have tied one on to have much of a BAC 8 hours after the last intake, much less 12. What is bad is the hangover and its negative effects on performance.

The F/O had in fact confessed by this that he was fully aware that he is intoxicated and above the limit for flying.