Posted on 01/16/2025 1:17:16 PM PST by DFG
A Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested Wednesday at a Georgia airport just before takeoff and accused of driving under the influence, according to airline officials and authorities in Georgia.
A passenger told CNN affiliate WTOC on Wednesday he saw police escort the pilot off the plane.
David Paul Allsop, 52, of Bedford, New Hampshire, faces a DUI charge following his arrest at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, according to records from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.
The records did not indicate the type of substance Allsop is accused of using. CNN has reached out to law enforcement officials for more information.
Allsop’s bail was set at $3,500 and he has bonded out of jail, sheriff’s office records show.
Allsop has not appeared in court, according to a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office. An arraignment hearing will be scheduled at a later date, the spokesperson said.
CNN has reached out to Allsop and the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association for comment.
“We’re aware of a situation involving an employee on Flight 3772 Wednesday morning from Savannah,” a Southwest spokesperson told CNN in a statement on Thursday. Allsop has been “removed from duty,” the spokesperson added.
“Customers were accommodated on other flights and we apologize for the disruption to their travel plans,” the statement said. “There’s nothing more important to Southwest than the safety of our employees and customers.”
Federal regulations prohibit pilots from consuming alcohol within eight hours of flying or attempting to fly an aircraft, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The same rule applies if the pilot has a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater, FAA regulations say.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Southwest has pilots who evidently can relate to a lot of their passengers. LOL
Wanna get away?
No kidding. I was on one flight and a guy was loud and obnoxious so the flight attendants kept giving him more drinks, amazing.
That’s different. He was also on cocaine.
Still saved those passengers lives.
(Of course it’s just a movie)
DUI or FUI?
Over tiredness is probably a bigger problem.
Its hard to make good decisions in a dynamic environment when exhausted.
Both I guess.
Yikes. I fly out of Savannah Hilton Head airport. Nice airport. Easy in and out. Not too busy.
Go to an AA meeting and you’d be amazed at how many doctors, dentist, lawyers etc. are there. Imagine how many are practicing while using.
Another reason driving later in the day becomes increasingly dangerous.
That’s true.
This is not as rare as you may think.
I know Delta has a long term program to identify pilots with problems and help them recover.
OMG. I fly in and out of there all the time.
If this has to do with an off duty pullover, the police should be sued for arresting him at work. To me, this reeks of “I’LL SHOW YOU’se”
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