Continental Airlines Pilot Suspected of being intoxicated

[Catherine Vincent]

http://www.click2houston.com/news/9571240/detail.html

Continental Airlines Pilot Removed From Flight

Continental: Pilot Suspected Of Being Intoxicated

POSTED: 10:32 am CDT July 25, 2006

HOUSTON -- A Continental Airlines pilot was removed from a flight after employees reported the smell of alcohol on his breath, KPRC Local 2 reported.

The pilot was scheduled on flight 706 to Tampa, Fla., Sunday morning, Continental Airlines officials said.

The pilot was riding to the airport with several other employees, who reported smelling alcohol on the pilot's breath.

The employees alerted Continental Airlines management. The airline did not allow the pilot to get on the aircraft.

"Continental Airlines has a zero-tolerance policy for any alcohol or drug abuse," read a statement released by Continental Airlines. "The pilot was removed from the flight so that we could launch our own internal investigation."

Officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation said the pilot was removed during a pre-flight briefing.
more....

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Good on those employess that turned him in!

[uppityperson]

1. removed before flight, good thing. Thank you whistleblowers.

[MissB]

2. Pilots know better.

All the pilots I know are very careful about not drinking and flying.

[LordLovesAWorkingMan]

3. Way too many stories like this

I don't understand why pilots continue to do this. I've never worked with anyone who would drink, say, at lunchtime on a workday,
and we weren't taking 100 lives in our hands when we got back to the office. Ridiculous. I wonder how many times I've flown with a drunk
pilot. Love to know the politics of the guys who get caught about to fly drunk.

[hashibabba]

4. Love to know the politics of the guys who get caught about to fly drunk...

Uptight repubs?

It really is a shame that this keeps happening over and over. Maybe they should have breathalyzers at the airportt, that every pilot has to blow into before they board the plane!