A flight headed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was delayed by over four hours after a JetBlue pilot was asked to leave the cockpit after a blood alcohol test showed he was four times the legal limit.
The authorities said that the 52-year-old pilot from Orlando, Florida was first removed from the cockpit after a Transportation Security Administration agent informed them. Buffalo News added that Clifton looked “impaired” while passing through security.
Mr. Clifton’s blood-alcohol level was registered at 0.17 — four times the legal limit set for pilots and twice the legal limit for driving in the US.
The 52-year-old had told the authorities that he was not drinking the morning of his schedule to fly the aircraft. However, he admitted to drinking seven to eight drinks the night before, police said.
The NFTA told the outlet that Clifton was released into JetBlue security and could face federal charges. The pilot had spent the previous night drinking at a bar near the hotel where he was staying with the rest of the flight crew.
According to the police report, Clifton’s co-pilot said that Clifton missed his crew bus to the airport and had to take an Uber to reach the place, the police report said.
The JetBlue officials said in a statement that they were aware of the incident and cooperating with law enforcement. JetBlue also said they were conducting an internal investigation:
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Sources: The Washington Examiner, Independent, The Guardian, The Buffalo News
I quit flying in 1985 and do not miss it at all. While driving has it’s problems you have more control than you have when flying. You see more I mean the Grand Canyon from 35,000 feet looks like a line made in the sand. You can’t really see anything that high up. You get to decide when you eat and what you eat. Stops can be made where you want them and you get to pick what you see along the way. This has been going on for years and getting worse.