A Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested Wednesday at a Georgia airport and charged with driving while intoxicated.
A TSA agent smelled alcohol on the pilot and notified law enforcement, who arrested the pilot at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, a source close to the flight told NBC News. case.
“We are aware of a situation involving an employee on Flight 3772 this morning from Savannah. The employee has been terminated,” the airline said in a statement.
“There is nothing more important to Southwest than the safety of our employees and customers.”
The flight, bound for Chicago, was delayed five hours, according to flight records.
The airline apologized for the disruption and said customers were being accommodated on other flights.
FAA regulations “prohibit pilots from consuming alcohol while on duty or from flying or attempting to fly an airplane within eight hours of consuming alcohol or if they have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04% or more,” the agency said in a statement. a declaration.
Save with the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office say David Allsop, 52, was arrested Wednesday by airport police on a charge of driving under the influence and was being held on $3,500 bail, according to Chatham County Sheriff’s Office records.
It was not immediately clear Wednesday evening whether Allsop had an attorney.
Attempts to reach his family for comment were unsuccessful.
