The pilot of a Jet Airways London-Mumbai flight was deplaned and arrested at Heathrow minutes before takeoff as he reported drunk for duty.
The pilot of a Jet Airways London-Mumbai flight with 300 passengers on board was deplaned and arrested at Heathrow minutes before takeoff on Sunday after he reported drunk for duty.
Michael Gene Harr, a first officer with the private airline, was arrested in the cockpit by police after he failed a breathalyer test. The police were tipped off when airport staff smelt alcohol on the pilot as he passed through routine security.
Harr, 62, a veteran flier who was earlier with Atlanta Airlines, had been at a Christmas party the night before.
Harr, who is out on bail now, will appear before a court in February and is not allowed to fly until then.
A former US marine from Georgia, Harr was due to fly the 9W-119 Jet flight to Mumbai on Sunday, leaving Heathrow at 9:30am, when he was arrested.
“As he was going through security one of the guards smelt alcohol on his breath. The guard belonging to the British Airports Authority told his supervisor who immediately rang up the local police station,” a source at Heathrow told DNA.
The police rushed to the airport by which time Harr had already reached the cockpit and was preparing to fly. He was given a breathalyser test and found to be over the alcohol limit allowed for pilots. The limit for pilots is four times lower than that for motorists and they are not supposed to drink for at least eight hours before flying.
Jet confirmed the incident but played it down, saying, “The first pilot was replaced and passengers were only delayed by 10 minutes.” The flight was actually delayed by about two hours.
Sources at the airport, however, said they were shocked. “We have never heard of a pilot of an Indian airline being arrested from the cockpit before. Normally, doctors from airlines do random spot checks on crew for alcohol long before take-offs,” a source said.
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