A trip headed to Ft Lauderdale, Florida, was postponed by over four hours after a JetBlue pilot, Mr. James Clifton was asked to leave the cockpit after a blood alcohol test showed he was intoxicated to four times the lawful limit.
The authorities said that the 52-year-old pilot from Orlando, Florida was first removed from the cockpit after a Transportation Safety Administration agent informed them. Buffalo News added that Clifton looked “impaired” while going through safety and security.
FOUR TIMES The Legal Alcohol Limit… The Pilot Was Smashed.
Mr. Clifton’s blood-alcohol level was signed up at 0.17– four times the lawful limit established for pilots and twice the lawful limit for driving in the US.
The 52-year-old had actually informed the authorities that he was not consuming the early morning of his timetable to fly the aircraft. However, he confessed to consuming 7 to 8 alcoholic beverages the night prior to, police stated.
Spokeswoman, Helen Tederous noted that “Clifton submitted to the test after he told police he needed to get his gun from the plane’s cockpit,” according to NBC “Pilots are permitted to carry firearms on planes if they’re certified to do so. Clifton’s status wasn’t immediately clear.”
The NFTA told the electrical outlet that Clifton was released to JetBlue security and could see federal charges. The pilot had actually spent the previous night drinking at a bar near the resort where he was staying with the rest of the flight staff.
According to the Police report, Clifton’s co-pilot said that Clifton missed his team bus to the airport terminal and had to take an Uber to get to there.
The JetBlue officials said in a statement that they acknowledge the incident and are cooperating with police. JetBlue additionally claimed they were carrying out an internal investigation:
“We adhere to all [Department of Transportation] rules and requirements concerning alcohol at all times and have a very strict zero-tolerance internal alcohol policy,” making reference to the Department of Transportation’s regulations which bar pilots from drinking while on duty or within eight hours of flying and prohibits blood alcohol levels greater than .04. The pilot has since been removed from duty by JetBlue.
Sources: The Washington Examiner, Independent, The Guardian, The Buffalo News
