Is your pilot buzzed? Recent arrests raise new questions

In the wake of three recent cases involving pilots suspected to be intoxicated, FAA data shows such incidents remain exceedingly rare.

NEWARK -- Earlier this month, the co-pilot of a Talon Air charter flight in northern Michigan was arrested just before takeoff after a colleague suspected he was drunk.

Newark airport (File photo) 

An American Airlines co-pilot -- arrested in Detroit last March after he allegedly tried to fly a Philadelphia-bound flight after witnesses claimed he had smelled of liquor and was unsteady walking to his gate -- pleaded no contest last week to operating an aircraft under the influence.

And just this past weekend, two United Airlines pilots suspected of drinking before a flight were arrested in Scotland as they prepared to take 141 passengers from Glasgow to Newark Liberty International Airport.

For some, the spate of recent reports involving pilots and alcohol might be an unnerving echo of the 2012 Denzel Washington film "Flight," about an airline captain whose substance abuse problem only comes to light after a harrowing crash. But mandated screenings and random drug and alcohol testing indicate such incidents are exceedingly rare, experts say.

Last year under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Program, there were 10 reports of pilot alcohol violations (confirmed breath alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater), down from 13 violations the year before within the U.S. With more than 154,000 airline transport pilots certified in the U.S,, that represents 1 violation per every 15,400 pilots.

Over the past decade, the data shows more than 120 incidents of pilots unfit for duty because of alcohol violations.

"The reality is that as a group, pilots are the least likely to have what amount to a DWI," said well-known aviation attorney Arthur Wolk of Philadelphia, who holds an air transport pilot certificate. "Not only do you want to be at your best when flying, but nobody wants to lose their job over a stupid drink. Nobody."

Wolk said in more than four decades of aviation-focused litigation, he has never had a case involving a pilot who was intoxicated.

"I have a lot of airline pilot friends and if they are flying the next day, there is no drinking," he said.

The Air Line Pilots Association, the nation's largest pilot union, did not respond to requests for comment.

Unfriendly skies? United under pressure

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, random drug and alcohol testing of "safety-sensitive aviation employees" is required by law.

Officials said FAA regulations prohibit pilots from flying within eight hours of consuming alcohol, or if they have a blood alcohol level of 0.04 or above. For most airlines, the rule is even stricter--no alcohol within 12 hours of getting into the cockpit. Pilots in violation can lose not only their jobs, but their FAA certificate, grounding them permanently.

At the same time, there is a built-in reluctance to seek counseling and treatment for those whose livelihoods could be destroyed by the admission that they have a drinking problem, said Marsha Bates, acting director of the Center of Alcohol Studies at Rutgers University.

Bates said alcoholism and abuse are chronic diseases, but remain stigmatized disorders, not just for pilots, but surgeons, dentists, teachers and others.

"There's a feeling of moral and personal failure," she remarked. "People would be more likely to get help if they didn't have to risk their jobs."

United Airlines officials have had little to say about the incident on Saturday, involving Flight 162, when two pilots, Paul Brady Grebnec, 35, from Columbus, Miss., and Carlos Licona, 45, of Humble, Tx., were arrested at Glasgow Airport as they attempted to check in for a morning flight to Newark.

"The two pilots have been removed from service and their flying duties. We are cooperating with the authorities and will conduct our own investigation as well. The safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority," the airline said in a statement.

The United 757 remained grounded for 10 hours and its 141 passengers were given meal vouchers and in some cases hotel accommodations, said a spokeswoman.

"We got them to Newark with a new crew," said Erin Benson.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Is your pilot buzzed? Recent arrests raise new questions