If you were to compile a list of the Top Ten Things to Unnerve Plane Passengers, having armed police enter the cockpit moments before take-off, handcuff the pilot and lead them away on suspicion of being drunk would have to rank pretty high.
This is what allegedly happened last week on a British Airways flight due to depart from Gatwick to Mauritius. Moments before departure, cabin crew called 999 after claiming to smell alcohol on the pilot’s breath.
The pilot was arrested and the flight eventually took off two-and-a-half hours late, at 10.55pm, once British Airways had found another available pilot.
Here, we take a look at the history of drunk pilots in the cockpit, and dig out the rules and regulations in place to prevent drink-flying.
Even just a small amount of alcohol in the blood can have a significant effect on pilots, who are required to maintain a high level of concentration during long stretches of time, and must have the ability to make quick decisions in the event of an emergency.
Alcohol affects the eyes, brain and the inner-ear, which are all vital faculties for a pilot. Being under the influence of alcohol means the brain isn’t able to make efficient use of oxygen, impairing reaction time, and too much alcohol can cause double-vision and difficulty focusing.
In India, it’s zero tolerance. In a policy document on pilot alcohol consumption, the Office of the Director General of Civil Aviation states: “Alcohol present in body even in small quantities jeopardises flight safety on several counts and is likely to adversely affect an aviator well into the hangover period”. Even 1mg of alcohol content per 100ml of blood would push an Indian pilot over the limit.
In rare instances, inebriated pilots have caused crashes. Two Russian pilots were held partly responsible for fatal accidents in 2011 and 2012.
While stories like these do often emerge in the press, the percentage of pilots being caught drunk in the cockpit per year is extremely low. Out of the 12,480 US pilots tested in 2015, most of them randomly, only 10 came out positive. India's stricter testing regulations caught 46 pilots in 2016.
24/01/18 Greg Dickinson/Telegraph
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This is what allegedly happened last week on a British Airways flight due to depart from Gatwick to Mauritius. Moments before departure, cabin crew called 999 after claiming to smell alcohol on the pilot’s breath.
The pilot was arrested and the flight eventually took off two-and-a-half hours late, at 10.55pm, once British Airways had found another available pilot.
Here, we take a look at the history of drunk pilots in the cockpit, and dig out the rules and regulations in place to prevent drink-flying.
Even just a small amount of alcohol in the blood can have a significant effect on pilots, who are required to maintain a high level of concentration during long stretches of time, and must have the ability to make quick decisions in the event of an emergency.
Alcohol affects the eyes, brain and the inner-ear, which are all vital faculties for a pilot. Being under the influence of alcohol means the brain isn’t able to make efficient use of oxygen, impairing reaction time, and too much alcohol can cause double-vision and difficulty focusing.
In India, it’s zero tolerance. In a policy document on pilot alcohol consumption, the Office of the Director General of Civil Aviation states: “Alcohol present in body even in small quantities jeopardises flight safety on several counts and is likely to adversely affect an aviator well into the hangover period”. Even 1mg of alcohol content per 100ml of blood would push an Indian pilot over the limit.
In rare instances, inebriated pilots have caused crashes. Two Russian pilots were held partly responsible for fatal accidents in 2011 and 2012.
While stories like these do often emerge in the press, the percentage of pilots being caught drunk in the cockpit per year is extremely low. Out of the 12,480 US pilots tested in 2015, most of them randomly, only 10 came out positive. India's stricter testing regulations caught 46 pilots in 2016.
24/01/18 Greg Dickinson/Telegraph
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