Pilot arrested in Calgary, charged with being impaired before takeoff

[ramjet555]

[size=1.35em][font=franklingothicfscompressed]Pilot arrested in Calgary, charged with being impaired before takeoff[/font][/size]
[size=1.35em][img alt=Sunwing plane]http://storage.calgarysun.com/v1/dynami ... &size=420x[/img]
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[size=1.35em]Cops say a pilot was found slumped unconscious in the cockpit of a Mexico-bound Boeing 737 at Calgary's airport Saturday, with a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.[/size]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial][size=1.35em]Staff Sgt. Paul Stacey of the Calgary police traffic section said the 37-year-0ld Slovakian national, in Canada on a work visa, boarded the Sunwing aircraft with 99 passengers and five other crew members aboard just after 7 a.m., and his behaviour was unusual enough that the airport gate crew notified the co-pilot.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial][size=1.35em]"The co-pilot went and found the pilot in the cockpit, presumably preparing for the pre-flight. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial][size=1.35em]We were called and then we took that pilot into custody," he said.[/size][/font][/color]

[size=1.35em][color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial]"He was showing signs of impairment, enough so that the gate crew were concerned and then they found him actually slumped over in the pilot's seat." [/font][/color][color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial]Stacey said the pilot, the flight's captain, was removed and taken to the traffic office to be tested. The veteran cop said he still registered an "extreme level" of impairment some two hours after he was ushered off the plane.[/font][/color][/size]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial][size=1.35em]However, despite the pilot's condition, Stacey said it's unlikely the pilot would have had the chance to take off.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial][size=1.35em]"It had all the potential for a disaster ... but the likelihood of a pilot on a major airline like this actually being able to take off when they're impaired like that is pretty slim because there's a lot of checks and balances," he said.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial][size=1.35em]"Obviously this one had a very significant potential to cause great harm had the pilot actually been allowed to fly this plane."[/size][/font][/color]
[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial][size=1.35em]In a statement, Sunwing said the plane took off a short time later with another captain, bound for stops in Regina and Winnipeg before jetting south to Cancun.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial][size=1.35em]"We are very appreciative of our crew’s diligence in handling this very unfortunate matter," the statement read, in part.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial][size=1.35em]"We are very apologetic for any upset that this has caused and would like to assure our customers that safety remains our utmost priority."[/size][/font][/color]

[size=1.35em][color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial]Stacey said the pilot has been charged with having care and control of an aircraft while being impaired, and having care and control of an aircraft while over the legal blood-alcohol limit of 0.08. His name has not yet been released pending an appearance before a justice of the peace.[/font][/color][color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial]However, Stacey noted he may face further charges from Transport Canada.[/font][/color][/size]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial][size=1.35em]"I fully expect that there will be additional charges," he said.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][font=arial][size=1.35em]Transport Canada could not be reached for comment Saturday.[/size][/font][/color]



[size=1.35em][url=http://www.calgarysun.com/2016/12/31/pi ... re-takeoff]http://www.calgarysun.com/2016/12/31/pi ... re-takeoff[/url][/size]




Yes, used removed formatting button but it did not work. It still left a page of endless script.
Removed the formatting by hand.


Now, do you think Sunwing might be looking for a Canadian pilot that doesn't drink?

[ScudRunner-d95]

[quote]The pilot — a 37-year-old foreign national from Slovakia in Canada on a work visa — was taken into custody.[/quote]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/i ... -1.3917757


If this doesn't spell the end for the TFW Pilots in Canada I don't know what will.

[Colonel]

Only if Gilles can figure out a way to publicly embarrass TC
as being responsible. A very political animal, is TC.

[Slick Goodlin]

Drunk pilots seem to be coming up more and more in the news these days.  I figure you'd have to be pretty bold to try something like this so what gives?  Are impaired (but not obviously so) pilots common enough that these guys getting caught are just the next step?

[David MacRay]

I blame sunwing for making him work on New Year's Eve. :partyhat

[TundraTire]

[quote author=ScudRunner link=topic=5265.msg13478#msg13478 date=1483252982]

If this doesn't spell the end for the TFW Pilots in Canada I don't know what will.
[/quote]


Why?  It's not like Canadians haven't done the same thing, or that being a TFW had anything to do with it.

[Eric Janson]

[quote author=Slick Goodlin link=topic=5265.msg13487#msg13487 date=1483299617]
Drunk pilots seem to be coming up more and more in the news these days.  I figure you'd have to be pretty bold to try something like this so what gives?  Are impaired (but not obviously so) pilots common enough that these guys getting caught are just the next step?
[/quote]

It's always been there - just a lot more high profile now in the "instant news" age.

Plenty of alcoholics in this business - come across a few over the years.

[Napoleon So Low]

[quote author=ramjet555 link=topic=5265.msg13470#msg13470 date=1483230860]
Yes, used removed formatting button but it did not work. It still left a page of endless script.
Removed the formatting by hand.[/quote]

The button works fine. You have to *select* the text you want unformatted before you press the button.

[ScudRunner-d95]

[quote author=TundraTire link=topic=5265.msg13503#msg13503 date=1483323417]
[quote author=ScudRunner link=topic=5265.msg13478#msg13478 date=1483252982]

If this doesn't spell the end for the TFW Pilots in Canada I don't know what will.
[/quote]


Why?  It's not like Canadians haven't done the same thing, or that being a TFW had anything to do with it.
[/quote]

It is just another round in the magazine to use to put an end to it.

[ScudRunner-d95]

Good god have you been listening to the "aviation experts" beeking off about this on the radio?