We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
THE CO-PILOT OF a Portuguese airline was detained in Stuttgart after being found drunk in the cockpit just before take off, German police and prosecutors said today.
German police entered the cockpit and found the 40-year-old in a “highly intoxicated condition” yesterday evening, a statement said.
An airport official had sounded the alert after finding the pilot “reeking of alcohol and walking unsteadily,” it said.
Stuttgart prosecutors immediately suspended the co-pilot’s flying licence and fixed a €10,000 bail.
German authorities did not name the airline but a flight of the Portuguese carrier TAP, due to leave Stuttgart for Lisbon last night with 106 passengers, was cancelled.
The German news agency DPA reported today that all 106 passengers were put up at hotels overnight.
TAP tweeted that the passengers would only be able to fly to Lisbon on Monday, “which is, at the moment, the first day with seats available”.
- © AFP, 2018 with reporting from Associated Press
All pilots should be breathalyzed before boarding.
@Larry Doyle: Why is that now?
@Ger Healy: read the story and google it to find lots of other cases
@Ger Healy: To ensure they’re in a fit condition to fly the aeroplane.
@Larry Doyle:
Should the same be applied to all bus, train and taxi drivers too? They are probably a higher risk as they have no backup to take over
@Nick Allen: Pilots are alot less likely to encounter a checkpoint while working……
@Darren Norris:
Think of the thousands of flights taking off every day and the amount of pilots who are caught with drink on them. A miniscule proportion.
You want a professional pilot breathalysed before every flight.
How would you like to be breathalysed on the way to work?
If the issue of drunk pilots ever became so bad that all pilots needed to be brresthalysed, the problem would sort itself. ….No one would want to fly.
@Nick Allen: Not great at the old lateral thinking, eh Nick?
@Ger Healy: why do passengers have to take their shoes off before boarding a plane. How many instances of shoe bombs caused that to happen?
@Darren Norris: Havnt got time, you seem to be the expert. You tell us.
@Brendan Hughes: Oh so now we’re talking about terrorism? This is about pilots and the fact that someone thinks that they all should be treated as potential drunks. Try and keep up.
@Ger Healy: But it wouldn’t bother me at all if I had to take a breathalyser test before starting work, or before driving. Why would it? If anyone’s had too much to drink, they usually do believe that they’re safe to drive. That’s what the test is for. Do you not think that pilot drove to work drunk?
@Larry Doyle: pilots can fly 6 sectors in a working day. Should they be breathalyzed before each sector?
@Ger Healy: Many construction projects worldwide require a D&A test first thing in the morning, or at random spot checks. Professionals and tradespeople included.
Someone who is operating heavy machinery has the potential to cause great injury or death is under the influence.
I don’t mind being tested on the way to work as you put it. If it means that there’s someone less likely to harm others through their alcohol or drug habits that’s fine by me.
What’s your case for not having the pilots breathalysed?
@EillieEs: Just at start of each working day would suffice as I assume on the job drinking would be noticed.
@Larry Doyle: I would say as they debrief before leaving airport
@Larry Doyle: Tw*t
@Fiona Fitzgerald: Maybe we should all be breathalysed before we are allowed to comment on here.
@Jointheclubtoo: Not that it takes any special skills to comment. Be grand if we were being paid to post, though.
@Larry Doyle: Why not do the same to every bus/train/car driver. Fit a breathalyser to the starting mechanism.
@Jonathan Morgan: I agree with you.
@Larry Doyle: sure Danny Healy-Rea would see nothing wrong with that
Have to say I do like a pint in the airport……then again I don’t fly the plane though
@Peter Browne: if you were as drunk as it sounds this guy was, you probably wouldn’t be allowed to even be a passenger on a plane.
Cousin’s a pilot, said there is a huge alcohol problem in the job so not very surprised at this..
@ianglen: That’s all the proof I need
@ianglen: Tell me, is so called problem higher or lower than say truck drivers, bus drivers train drivers etc?
What are the statistics? Or do just want to malign a group of workers based on anecdotal evidence?
@Ger Healy: Very high unfortunately. Cousin is now working in Air traffic Control but has a lot of stories about the stresses of the job
@ianglen: Im not sure what your point is. Flying is still statistically safer than ever. If you open up Flight Radar 24, it is just amazing to see the amount of aircraft in the sky at any one moment flying safely across the globe. There are very well know crashes where pilot error was blamed but put in context, the problem is miniscule.
@Ger Healy: The amount of road accidents is minuscule if you look at all the traffic on the M50 but there are still checkpoints out there somewhere catching those who are guilty of being intoxicated while in charge of a vehicle and more importantly deterring those who would otherwise put the lives of others in great danger. Where is the same deterrence for pilots?
@ianglen: Shift work and higher than average alcohol intake go hand in hand
The worrying thing here is that the pilot seemed happy to fly with him
@John Fahy: How did you work that out? The Captain wasnt even mentioned in the article.
@Ger Healy: Maybe he’s one of those weirdos who reads more than one news source.
Denzel’s at it again
He should be jailed.Putting people’s lives at risk.
And also banned from flying and driving by the way.
12 hours bottle to throttle minimum
Sounds like you might also need to lay off the drugs, mike.
@Gary Donkerty: Get The Party Started https://g.co/kgs/7mCLR9 ( it might be a bit early, though its never too late..!
@Michael Kelly: SOZ TO ALL… THEY JUST GET AWAY WITH SO MUCH CRAP THAT WOULD HAVE ANY OF US BEHIND BARS…. RIDE THE WAVES EH…?
Another member of the high as a kite club.
Tell him to eat a dinner, he will be able to fly in no time.
@SlinkyDog: eating a big dinner is just as dangerous
@Mark Kavanagh: not if hes from kerry…
If every person ‘responsible’ for the Transit of people from here to there, were DRINK & DRUG tested, before & “AFTER” their Specified times/hours on the ‘JOB’,.. THERE WOULD BE, for most, A RED ( TO ‘PURPLISH BLACK ) STATUS ‘ROAD & RAIL’ ALERT PUT OUT ON SAID PERSONS, & their respective ‘JOBS’ The Country would come to a stand – still..! It would be like a constant Ophelia vs The Beast, up & down the Country….& That Goes For Gardai Also..! AS “SOME” OF THEM, HAVE ACCESS TO THE PURIST FORMS OF ILLEGAL DRUGS,.. & THE CUSTOMS OFFICERS ALSO BASICALLY HAVE A LICENCE ( along with the Gardai ) TO HAVE ON, & IN, THEIR PERSON, any amount of Cash, Alcohol, & Drugs..Along with whatever ‘fancy’ munchies’ they want to confiscate from unsuspecting “TARGETS”…!
SORRY, I might have gone a bit ‘off’ track there but, I would really love to see the proper people & readings of these ‘finds’ destroyed in full PUBLIC VIEW…
After spending all that money and time getting a fantastic career and he pisses it down the toilet.
Be grand. Autopilot. What’s the fuss.
Foster Brooks and Dean Martin on YouTube comes to mind
Lmao
have your say