Pilot arrested after failing breath test

The pilot of a passenger plane was arrested last night on suspicion of being over the alcohol limit.

The Aer Lingus Regional flight from Bristol Airport was delayed after the man failed a breath test.  The airline had to find another pilot and crew to fly the ATR72 plane to Cork, Ireland. The 24 passengers were told the delay was due to a “technical problem”.  Worried airport staff called police when the pilot went through a passenger security gate rather than a crew entrance and was dressed in civilian clothing. One source claimed he had earlier gone to a hotel with a member of the cabin crew.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: “Officers attended and the man failed a breath test. He was taken to a nearby station and a second test was carried out, which he passed. No offences were disclosed and the man has been released with no further action being taken.”  The legal limit for pilots is nine microgrammes of alcohol in breath, compared to 35 for motorists. A spokesman for Dublin-based Aer Arran, which runs the Aer Lingus Regional flight, said last night: “This is already the subject of a thorough investigation.”

Source:  http://www.mirror.co.uk