French Court Hands American Pilot 6-Month Prison Sentence After Attempting to Fly Drunk to Texas
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
On Tuesday, a court in Paris, France handed down a six-month suspended prison term to a United Airlines pilot who showed up to work drunk.
The 63-year-old defendant, identified only as Henry W., arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport around 3 pm on Sunday, July 23rd. According to authorities at the scene, staff were skeptical of his ability to fly.
“He staggered slightly, he had glassy eyes and a pasty mouth. Such a diagnosis led to carrying out a double-check with the breathalyzer,” said a police officer.
The defendant recorded an alcohol level over three times the permitted limit for pilots in Europe. After being taken into custody, he claimed that he had “only two glasses of wine, the day before at dinner” and thus complied with American regulations.
The judge didn’t buy his story, arguing that he must have consumed much larger amounts of alcohol prior to the flight.
Reportedly, the court was especially surprised by Henry W.’s conduct given his immaculate track record; he had previously flown in the US Navy, worked as a captain for United Airlines for over 28 years and didn’t have a single sanction in his career. Expressing disappointment, the judge said that he fit “a profile we don’t usually see in this court.”
She further admonished, “There could have been a plane crash – you put 267 passengers at risk.”
The pilot was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence, a one-year suspension of his pilot’s license and a €4,500 fine. He will likely face further repercussions from United Airlines and US authorities.
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