A pilot was arrested and his flight grounded after airport officials determined that he’d had too many early morning drinks before takeoff.
An eagle-eyed Transportation Security Administration agent noticed the unidentified American Airlines pilot acting strangely at a security checkpoint and conducted a breath test, which the suspect allegedly failed.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the co-pilot was “detained this morning under suspicion of having a BAC over the legal limit when he arrived for his flight in Detroit.”
Flight 736, bound for Philadelphia, was supposed to take off about 7 a.m., but it was canceled, leaving spring breakers stranded at the airport, according to ABC News.
“Spring break busted,” passenger Amanda Albrecht wrote on Twitter. “Pilot arrested (supposedly drunk).”
“Safety is our highest priority and we apologize to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans. We are assisting local law enforcement. Further questions should be referred to them,” the airline said in a statement.
The pilot’s name wasn’t released. FAA regulations bar any pilot from operating an aircraft with a BAC of more than 0.04 percent, or within eight hours of consuming alcohol.
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