Drunk Southwest pilot removed from cockpit, arrested [View all]

Scary to think about what might have happened had it not been for the intervention of the TSA officer! 😱

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/16/business/southwest-airlines-pilot-arrested-dui-georgia.html

"Mark Howell, a regional spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, said on Thursday that one of its officers at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport contacted law enforcement after “encountering an individual in the crew screening lane who smelled of alcohol and appeared intoxicated.”

The pilot, David Paul Allsop, 52, was arrested by the airport police, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office records show. He was later released on a $3,500 bond, Brianna Jones, a sheriff’s office spokeswoman, said.

Mr. Allsop “was seated in the cockpit performing preflight checks” when the police asked him to step out onto the jet bridge for questioning, the incident report said. Mr. Allsop, who the police said smelled like alcohol and had bloodshot eyes, admitted to drinking a “few light beers” the night before, according to the incident report.

Josiah Best, a police officer who responded, administered several field sobriety tests. He wrote in his report that Mr. Allsop could not maintain his balance and was unable to follow a pen with his eyes. When Mr. Allsop refused to take a blood test, Mr. Best handcuffed Mr. Allsop and drove him to the Chatham County Detention Center, according to the report."... (more)