An intoxicated female Delta pilot was arrested yesterday at 9.15 am in Stockholm after failing a random breath test as she prepared to take off, flying a fully booked Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 to New York. This was reported first by Aftonbladet, a Swedish newspaper.
If convicted, the US-based pilot faces losing her flying license and, under Swedish law, could also face up to two years in prison, depending on her blood alcohol level at the time of flying. Swedish policy hinted that the intoxication level was relatively low.
Delta Airlines flight DL205 was cancelled, costing this Atlanta-based carrier about $705 in cash for each of the 98 passengers booked on this trip. In addition to this $69,000+ loss, the airline will also have to write off another $140,000 for being unable to operate this flight. This incident comes at a time of near accidents involving Boeing and a global pilot shortage.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s legal limit for pilots is 0.04% blood alcohol content, which is half the legal limit for drivers in most U.S. states.
The FAA recommends 12 to 24 hours between a pilot’s last drink and the flight and mandates a “Bottle to Throttle” rule that they must wait at least eight hours between consuming alcohol and operating an aircraft.
In a statement, Delta Airlines said it will fully cooperate with authorities, “as nothing is more important than the safety and security of our customers and people.
