Good for those who did their job and reported it. I'd much rather have a late or even canceled flight than the risk of anything happening because of someone even slightly impaired.
this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2025
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This DUI charge is probably going to be dropped in favor of federal charges by the FAA. Maybe not and he’ll get both state and federal charges. The legal limit is not the same as cars. It’s 0.04%, half of the automotive limit as noted in the article.
The pilot will be suspended immediately.
If guilty;
The pilot will lose all pilot certificates
Lose pilot medical certificate
Be immediately fired. No airline allows aircraft OUI incidents
Face possible incarceration
Get some nasty fines
Alcoholism sucks. Sometimes it can also just be a shitty one-time decision. This dude is fucked because they pulled him from the flight deck. If you’re caught before getting in the flight deck it’s still gonna suck and you’ll still lose everything, but you have a hope of flying commercially again with a lot of effort.
Fortunately, commercial pilots in the US have access to mental health resources to help treat things like substance abuse or the underlying factors that could lead to it.
Oh wait, I misspoke.
What I meant to say was commercial pilots in the US can not seek mental health resources AT ALL or they get their license revoked by the FAA. Silly me.
Wrong and right.
In the context of alcohol, you have to notify your substance abuse program before you “get caught”. IOW, if you know you have a drinking problem and call before you check in for duty, you will be removed from flying and placed in the program. You’ll piss people off, but you won’t get fired. If you show up, check in for work, then get caught, you’re fucked. No program for you.
As far as other mental health issues go, yeah. It can be really, really hard to get treated without jeopardizing your job, which can also be part of the reason why alcohol is such a problem in the industry. Self medicating away a problem. Luckily antidepressants are becoming acceptable.
After you complete the program, do you go back to full flying status? Or do they put you in a corner until you quit because your career there is over?
If you legit successfully go through the program you’re good. I know two people who have done it and they have mixed reviews (one was happy to have kicked a habit, the other was grumpy about what they felt were unnecessary difficulties) but both are still employed and flying today. If you fail the program, you’re out. It’s not a joke, everyone gets involved. The FAA, FAA medical, Union medical (the unions often provide the program) physicians… it can be long and probably uncomfortable.
DUI? He isn't driving, he's flying. Why does he have a higher BAC allowance than I do driving a car?
You have to drive the plane before you can take off. Case closed
Unfortunately, they’ve still yet to close that loophole for helicopter pilots
Is 0.08 not the limit where you live?
Oops. It's .08, but for anyone under 21 it is zero tolerance. I forgot about that.
.02 effectively, breathalyzers aren't perfect and there's plenty of reasons other than drinking to blow above .00
He doesn't, 0.08 for normal drivers, 0.04 for pilots/CDL drivers.
In my state it's OVI (Operating Vehicle Impaired) and you can get one on a bicycle, canoe, or horse. it doesn't even have to have a motor.
Huh, you know I've never actually thought about how that'd pan out.