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Atlantic Southeast Airlines Accuses Pilot of Showing Up Drunk

Aired July 29, 2002 - 14:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Atlantic Southeast Airlines is waiting for more tests before taking any action against a pilot accused of showing up for his flight drunk. An airline spokesman says airport security agents in Wilmington, North Carolina stopped the pilot after smelling alcohol. The FAA has also launched an investigation into the incident. And, as CNN's Patty Davis joins us now live from Washington with the latest -- Patty.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, this is the second incident in a month in which security screeners alerted officials to the possibility of an intoxicated pilot.

Now as you said, both the FAA and Atlantic Southeast are waiting for final blood/alcohol results, but passenger groups say that this kind of news only serves to make passengers more nervous about flying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID STEMPLER, PRESIDENT, AIR TRAVELERS ASSN.: The airlines are trying to get people back in the air. And most passengers have some anxiety about traveling and flying, and this is just one other added concern they have. They knew that there were all kinds of concerns, but the fact that your pilot might be drunk wasn't one of them up until now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: The pilot in question has been removed from flying until the full investigation is complete -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Patty, I apologize. I was getting some talk in my ear there. I have a question about the airlines. Do they have way of spotting drunk pilots before they aboard the aircraft? Is there anything in place?

DAVIS: In fact, it's pretty much up to your coworkers. It's up to, as we saw in this case, airport screeners, that's what they do. But they do have some things in place to spot pilots who have drinking problems. Pilots, first of all, are required to report any DWIs or DUIs, driving while intoxicated, they have to report that. They get strikes on that and they're out, as well as -- if on the third strike, they are found to have been drinking again, they get their medical certificate yanked. So they watch very closely, and in this cases, these pilots are slipping through -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: Have there been numbers of how common this is. I mean, this is the second incident we reported in less than six months.

DAVIS: Right. In the year 2000, it was nine pilots violating the FAA's alcohol rules. Last year, it was nine pilots. This year, so far, seven. That doesn't include the two America West pilots that were -- that have been accused of drinking and driving their aircraft. So it seems pretty stable up to this point. There hasn't been a huge explosion -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Patty Davis, live from Washington. Thanks, Patty.

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