Southwest Pilot Arrested for Drinking

[PhilDernerJr]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/09/pilot. ... index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/09/pilot.arrested/index.html)

What a smart fellow.

I almost have a tough time believing this. I don't understand how a pilot could possibly drink before flying.

[moose135]

That's the old Air Force rule:
- No drinking within 50 feet of the aircraft
- No smoking within 8 hours of take-off

:D :D :D :D :D

[Alex T]

Man, seriously he has to be stupid.

Maybe all pilots should now be taking a breathalyzer before boarding the plane. To much time I realize but seriously though.

Alex

[N790SW]

Well do we know the full facts yet- i mean a TSA agent- c'mon they dont do their jobs anyways- w.e? i just hope hes innocent- WNs got great pilots i know i can testify to that. I know its not the matter if hes good or not in this case but I personally hope hes innocent. Time will tell with this one.

[T-Bird76]

Well do we know the full facts yet- i mean a TSA agent- common they don't do their jobs anyways- w.e? i just hope hes innocent- WNs got great pilots i know i can testify to that. I know its not the matter if hes good or not in this case but I personally hope hes innocent. Time will tell with this one.

All airlines flown in the U.S have great pilots, what is your point? HP has great pilots and two of their pilots were convicted of the same thing. While I don't support the TSA I'd hardly generalize none of them do their jobs. The moron probably made a mistake and thought one or two drinks wouldn't hurt anyone. Sadly for him though mistakes like this have a heavy price to pay. For his sake he better not have been drinking or he can kiss his career and life goodbye.

[PhilDernerJr]

I agree with Tommy for the most part.

If they gave him a breathilizer on-scene and it didn't detect alcohol, he wouldn't have been arrested.

Granted, there might be more to the story, but that's enough for me to lean more towards him probably being guilty. We can't assume the better of him just because we're fans of Southwest or anything.

[Matt Molnar]

I know screeners get rewards in the form of days off for finding contraband in luggage, i.e. guns, knives, bombs, etc. I wonder what the prize is for catching a drunk pilot.

[N790SW]

know screeners get rewards in the form of days off for finding contraband in luggage, i.e. guns, knives, bombs, etc. I wonder what the prize is for catching a drunk pilot

well they get a cookie for a bomb, and a pilot hmmm maybe a cracker.

[Midnight Mike]

Pilot accused of intoxication charged

By Jennifer Dobner
Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY -- A Southwest Airlines co-pilot accused of being intoxicated minutes before takeoff was charged in federal court here Monday.

Prosecutors charged Carl Fulton, 41, of Fort Worth, Texas, with one count of operation of a common carrier under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.

Fulton did not enter a plea. A preliminary hearing is set for July 28.

A Transportation Security Administration screener reported smelling alcohol on Fulton's breath Sunday morning at a security checkpoint. That was about 30 minutes before Southwest Flight 136, on which Fulton was the first officer, was set to depart from Salt Lake City International Airport for Phoenix.

Fulton was removed from the plane's cockpit and arrested. He spent the night in the Salt Lake County Jail.

Court documents say Fulton told federal air marshals and police he had consumed two "large beers" at a local movie house and a third drink - vodka - at a bar in the hotel where he was staying. He said he stopped drinking at 10 p.m. Saturday.

A breathalyzer test given to Fulton an hour after he was taken off the plane showed his blood-alcohol level was .039 percent; a second test registered .038 percent, according to court records. The results were "mathematically not possible" if he had consumed only three drinks a day earlier, an air marshal said in a court document.

Federal Aviation Administration guidelines say a pilot is prohibited from flying within eight hours of consuming alcohol. The agency bars pilots from flying if their blood-alcohol level is .020 percent or greater.

Southwest has placed Fulton on paid leave - which prohibits him from flying - pending the outcome of an internal investigation. He had a "perfectly clear record" and has worked for the airline for two years, company spokesman Ed Stewart said.

Fulton's attorney, Ken Brown, declined to comment Monday.

[Alex T]

Hmmh, before someone is quick to say he shouldn't have drunk the night before, technically he met the 8 hours before limit, he drank at 10pm according to him, Flight 136 leaves at 8am.

10pm to 6am is 8 hrs on top of a 2 hr extra time, unfortunatly, the alcohol was not gone by then.

I know some pilots their policy is no drinking 24hrs in advance of a flight, which is smarter and erases all evidence of alcohol in your body.

Alex

[USAF Pilot 07]

There's no way he stopped drinking 8 hours before the flight, especially since all he said he had was two beers and a vodka drink, and still blew a .039.
Perhaps he got a case of sudden amnesia and drank that bottle of vodka right before he checked out of the hotel!

Regardless of when he stopped drinking, he was still in violation of the FAA's regulations, and should not have been flying.

Bottom line: He made a bad decision, he got caught, and now he has to face the music and pay for his decision.

[T-Bird76]

Oh yeah this guy is a moron for sure! NO WAY did he stop at 10PM not if he blew a .039. He made bad choice and deserves what he gets.

[Alex T]

Which is why I said "according to him" based on HIS facts he did it right, of course we would expect him to alter his times to meet the expectations if that was the case, but "according to him" he did everything right. But obviously something wasn't right.

Alex

[PhilDernerJr]

Alex is such a Southwest APU-kisser. God. lol

[Alex T]

Alex is such a Southwest APU-kisser. God. lol

8) 8) 8)

Hey Phil Don't get me wrong, if WN does something wrong Ill make sure they were aware of it :D

Hey everyone has an airline they prefer, you got your ATA hahaha and Tom has his TWA..

Alex

[N790SW]

Hey everyone has an airline they prefer, you got your ATA hahaha and Tom has his TWA..

well it looks like phil should start kissin WNs apu- WN saved ATA lol and well as for tom - well it looks like that APU is AMR terrritory =P jp with u guys hey look at the words under my user name- i gotta kinky atttraction to apu's :lol:

[Midnight Mike]

and Tom has his TWA..

Alex

Well, you mean that Tommy, had, his TWA

[Alex T]

[quote="Alex T":172fb] and Tom has his TWA..

Alex

Well, you mean that Tommy, had, his TWA[/quote:172fb]

True, very True Mike. :P

Unfortunate though, I was just as big TWA fan as Tom was.


Ok back to the topic, Drunk WN Pilot.

Alex