Drunk Pilot: Virgin Atlantic Flight Grounded at Washington Dulles

WMAL Radio ^ | Dec. 20, 2003 | WMAL

[JeepInMazar]

Just heard this on WMAL. Nothing on their website yet. It sounded like the flight actually took off but then returned because the pilot was believed to be drunk.

[Ramius]

Rutroh.

This will not end well.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Some pilots are better after a few drinks.

[Ramius]

It works for me when I play pool. Maybe it's the same with a multiengine jet?

Heck... flying can be scary. Some things in life you just don't wanna do sober.

[GeronL]

lol. calms the nerves?.. well, at least the pilot (like drivers) think they do better after a few drinks

[Smokin' Joe]

Two drinks and you're grounded. It doesn't take much to get a 0.04 Blood Alcohol Level. I'm not sure you are allowed that much any more.

[Ramius]

I think most airlines have a 24-hour bottle-to-throttle rule.

[xzins]

Wonder who brought the plane back?

And why this someone didn't stop it BEFORE takeoff.

[Rome2000]

Bizarre how a $12 an hour Haitian "screener" can effect a drunk check on an airline pilot.

Maybe they can train on the difference between Vitalis and Scotch.

[Ramius]

And why this someone didn't stop it BEFORE takeoff.

The pilot might have appeared normal enough during the pre-flight... but it was probably the "WaaaaHOOOOOOO" on takeoff that made everybody suspicious. :-)

[CholeraJoe]

The USAF is 12 hours bottle to throttle, so I suspect the airlines are similar.

[xrp]

Wouldn't it have been better to have the plane fly to its destination??? Planes mostly fly on autopilot now, plus there's the co-pilot to assist and pilots only do the landing. So, they had an intoxicated pilot perform a landing rather than giving him X amount of hours in flight to sober up!

[Ramius]

I don't think the screeners are doing breathalyzer checks just yet. Thank God.

[Ramius]

I would suppose that it was the copilot that took command and landed the plane.

[Ramius]

12 hours sounds about right. Now that I think about it, an acquaintance of mine is a pilot for Alaska, and I think that was their policy. I met him in a bar. He was blotto, but didn't have to fly till very late the next day. It was a subject of some discussion. :-)

[WackyKat]

Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla once did a great skit on the Man Show in which they dressed in pilot's uniforms and staggered around LAX with a drink in hand , talking in loud, drunken voices about how they were about to fly

It was hilarious

[JeepInMazar]

The news update just said that the flight was grounded before take off. 400 passengers trying to figure out what to do now.

[xzins]

It's taken decades, but finally I asked a reasonable question.

[martin_fierro]

Was the pilot this guy? <|:)~

[leadpenny]

ONE News via Drudge

Tipsy Virgin pilot removed from plane

Dec 20, 2003

The captain of a Virgin Atlantic airliner about to fly from Washington to London was removed from the plane after he was suspected of being drunk.

Police at Washington's Dulles Airport were still investigating the incident involving a Boeing 747-400 jet, which was scheduled to carry 383 passengers.

"We haven't charged him with anything at this point," said Tara Hamilton, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority.

However, Virgin Atlantic canceled its Flight 22 to Heathrow, London's main airport, and rescheduled it for Saturday evening, an airline spokesman said.

"The pilot has been suspended with immediate effect and will face an internal inquiry," the spokesman said.

Virgin has put up the passengers at area hotels and promised them a free future flight, he said.

An airport transportation security screener alerted police that pilot might be drunk.

After an interview on the plane, the pilot was removed before any of the passengers had boarded, Hamilton said.

© Reuters