Ari707
2010-09-14, 04:40 PM
An apparently intoxicated American pilot was pulled from the cockpit of his Delta jet as he prepared to fly from Amsterdam to Newark Tuesday, officials said.
The 52-year-old captain from Woodbury, New Jersey blew a .023 percent blood alcohol level in a breath test, according to the National Police Corps in Amsterdam. That level is just above the legal limit in the Netherlands, which has some of the toughest drunk driving laws in Europe.
Delta Airlines said they suspended the captain and canceled Flight #35 between Amsterdam and Newark "out of concern that a crew member appeared to be unfit for duty."
An anonymous tip brought Dutch police to the Delta plane, officials said. After removing the captain, police fined him $900 and he was released, authorities said.
The Netherlands has tougher drunk driving laws than the United States, where .08 is the legal definition of drunk driving. However the Delta captain's reported .023 blood alcohol level would still mean that he couldn't fly a plane in the U.S. because the Federal Aviation Administration sets the limit at .018.
"Local Amsterdam authorities have met with the crew member to begin their investigation and we are cooperating fully, while simultaneously launching our own internal investigation," Delta said.
The airline said the passengers on the canceled flight would have to wait until tomorrow to fly.
The 52-year-old captain from Woodbury, New Jersey blew a .023 percent blood alcohol level in a breath test, according to the National Police Corps in Amsterdam. That level is just above the legal limit in the Netherlands, which has some of the toughest drunk driving laws in Europe.
Delta Airlines said they suspended the captain and canceled Flight #35 between Amsterdam and Newark "out of concern that a crew member appeared to be unfit for duty."
An anonymous tip brought Dutch police to the Delta plane, officials said. After removing the captain, police fined him $900 and he was released, authorities said.
The Netherlands has tougher drunk driving laws than the United States, where .08 is the legal definition of drunk driving. However the Delta captain's reported .023 blood alcohol level would still mean that he couldn't fly a plane in the U.S. because the Federal Aviation Administration sets the limit at .018.
"Local Amsterdam authorities have met with the crew member to begin their investigation and we are cooperating fully, while simultaneously launching our own internal investigation," Delta said.
The airline said the passengers on the canceled flight would have to wait until tomorrow to fly.