On Wednesday, a Southwest Airlines pilot was detained at an airport in Georgia and charged with DUI.
A person familiar with the matter told NBC News that a TSA officer detected alcohol on the pilot and alerted law authorities, who then detained the pilot at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.
We are aware of an incident that occurred this morning on Flight 3772 from Savannah involving an employee. The airline issued a statement stating, “The employee has been relieved of their duties.”
Nothing matters more to Southwest than our workers’ and customers’ safety.
According to flight data, the flight, which was bound for Chicago, was delayed by five hours.
Customers were accommodated on alternative flights, and the airline expressed regret for the inconvenience.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s rules “prohibit pilots from using alcohol while on duty or from flying, or attempting to fly, an aircraft within eight hours of consuming alcohol or if they have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04% or greater,” the agency stated in a statement.
Documents held by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office show According to Chatham County Sheriff’s Office records, David Allsop, 52, was arrested by airport police on Wednesday on suspicion of driving under the influence and was being held on $3,500 bail.
On Wednesday evening, it was unclear if Allsop had a lawyer.
His family was unable to be contacted for comment.