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    Drunk Pilot? Suspicion Delays Omaha Flight

    A Frontier Airlines flight from Omaha to Milwaukee was delayed today when the pilot was suspected of being drunk and kept from boarding the plane.

    "Our police received information alleging that a Frontier crew member was impaired and, acting on that information, our police intercepted the employee before he boarded the flight," Chris Martin, director of operations for Omaha's Eppley Airfield, told ABCNews.com.

    "They spoke with him, and asked him a few questions, and determined there was reasonable suspicion that he was impaired and turned it over to Frontier Airlines staff," Martin said.

    A hotel shuttle driver tipped off the police, Martin said.

    The pilot, identified only as a man, was not arrested.

    "We acted on it immediately, as soon as we were made aware of a potential situation," Martin said. "We never arrested him. We talked with him and turned him over to the local Frontier Airlines staff."

    Flight 1894, a regional aircraft operated by Chautauqua Airlines, was scheduled to leave Omaha at 6 a.m., but did not leave until 8 a.m. because the airline needed to bring in another pilot, according to ABC News' Omaha affiliate KETV.

    The flight's 29 passengers did not have to wait on the tarmac, however. They were permitted back in the airport to wait.

    Martin said Frontier has deemed the incident a "personnel matter."

    Representatives of Frontier Airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    "I know they have advised the FAA, as have we, so I'm sure they will also do an investigation," Martin said.

    Also Read
     
    • Greg  •  Newark, New Jersey  •  3 mths ago
      we will be cruising at 17,000 mph at about 400 feet
      • Cj 3 mths ago
        LOL!
      • c c 3 mths ago
        Nice one Greg I almost #$%$ myself!
      • Me 3 mths ago
        ..."and the stewedderess :hic!: will pass out her cansssssssss...of soda! :HIC!:
    • Brandon  •  Salt Lake City, Utah  •  3 mths ago
      I'ma pilot. Things like that are scary. You need to be in your best form to be able to operate so complex a task as flying an airplane. The FAA has an 8 hour bottle to Throttle minimum, and most airlines 12 to 24 hour minimum depending on the airline. Stupid decision and good on the taxi driver.
      • iCleopatra 3 mths ago
        how often is common to have a drunk pilot flying an airplane?
      • Eric 3 mths ago
        Cleopatra, it is a rarity. If this guy made it to the plane, I'm sure the FO would not have allowed him to fly.
      • Julian 3 mths ago
        A possible 8 hour minimum? Gee, I admit to getting intoxicated to the point where I could sleep for 8 hours, and wake up still a bit drunk, or at least very fuzzy. Seems a minimum should be 18 hours, if more than a couple of drinks are consumed. Maybe just blow into a breathylizer as a matter of course enroute to the cockpit. Would any compliant pilot really mind, or does this represent an infringement upon his rights?
    • CADreamin'  •  Louisville, Kentucky  •  3 mths ago
      Good for the shuttle driver. He deserves a big "Thank you!" for doing the right thing.
      • Dr.Johnson 3 mths ago
        Then fire him!
      • fredboy 3 mths ago
        What Dr Johnson???????? Shuttle driver earned a raise ! not to mention thank yous. I think you just say that to provoke. Figure a btter way to get your attention needs met !
      • Dave 3 mths ago
        I'll buy him a drink!
    • James  •  Irvine, California  •  3 mths ago
      Someone asked me once if I was afraid of flying. I said no, it's the crashing that scares the hell out of me.
      • Serish 3 mths ago
        Exactly how I feel. I blame myself for listening to black box recordings on YouTube
      • Marcos 3 mths ago
        Did you come up with that original line all on your own?
        Wow, you are so funny.
        Can I suggest you quit your job as WallMart greeter and travel the US on the comedy circut?
      • J K 3 mths ago
        Marcos, did you come up with that original Walmart greeter line on your own? BTW, one "L" in Walmart and an "I" in circuit.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  3 mths ago
      Q: How many pilots does it take to fly a Frontier plane? A: Two, and a fifth.
      • JaniceG 3 mths ago
        That's funny, now that they caught him.
      • sharon b 3 mths ago
        lol
      • Serish 3 mths ago
        Hahaha! This is the reason why I look forward to the comments section
    • Jeff  •  Southfield, Michigan  •  3 mths ago
      What is the legal limit for flying? There should be ZERO tolerance.
    • John  •  3 mths ago
      If I showed up to work drunk, I'd be a lot more than suspended!
    • MICHAEL  •  3 mths ago
      Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue...
    • Matt  •  Los Angeles, California  •  3 mths ago
      Who Here Clicked On This Article To Read The Funny Comments!!!
    • k5  •  3 mths ago
      Shuttle driver did the right thing. Avoided an accident. Good job for a stand up citizen.
    • Shuree  •  Milwaukee, Wisconsin  •  3 mths ago
      A big thank you to the shuttle driver who wasn't afraid to get involved!
    • soxfan  •  3 mths ago
      i'm not drunk, and stop calling me Roger....Roger.....
    • Ben  •  Miami, Florida  •  3 mths ago
      FUI= Flying under the influence
    • paull  •  Los Angeles, California  •  3 mths ago
      So did they handcuff him and make him sit on the curb, while they tossed his vehicle?
    • Pete I  •  Houston, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      The airline says this is "a personnel matter"? Yeah, I'd say!
    • Pyewacket  •  3 mths ago
      Easy fix to this: Test the pilot. If pilot drunk, FIRE him. Report test results and firing to press immediately. He should then NEVER be allowed to fly a commercial plane again. Not because he was drunk, but because he ATTEMPTED TO FLY A PLANE FULL OF PASSENGERS WHILE DRUNK.
    • fort557  •  Bellflower, California  •  3 mths ago
      This pilot can help you reach your final destination...
    • 737pilot  •  Houston, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      I can tell you folks that I and others who do this for a living take this very seriously. Your safety is our number one concern. If this guy was intoxicated I hope he is convicted and the receives the maximum punishment. By the way, it is 8 hours bottle to throttle. This means no effect of alcohol from 8 hours prior to flight. That doesn’t mean you down your last beer 8 hours prior. Every year pilots are briefed on the danger of being impaired and told if they have a problem that the company will protect their job if they do 2 things: seek help and don’t attempt to fly impaired. However, this story is full of holes. If the pilot was intoxicated the police would have arrested him on the spot. It is only my guess, but I think it more likely that the pilot might have been sick or fatigued from being overworked. The FAA has issued new regulations on duty time since the Buffalo crash (which was two years ago) but the airlines have 2 more years in which to implement these new rules. In the mean time, the airlines will squeeze every minute of duty out of their crews until forced to make the changes or another accident occurs. Again, we don’t know really what happened with this pilot until all the facts are out. But I see there are several people that what to change the law to guilty until proven innocent. Are you willing to have the same applied to you?
    • GEM  •  Arvada, Colorado  •  3 mths ago
      Glad that flight 1894 won't be one of those numbers we remember, good looking out hotel shuttle driver.
    • David  •  Washington, District of Columbia  •  3 mths ago
      Really?! I cannot believe that there are still some pilots out there that are not taking the drunk flying seriously.
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