A flight from Texas to Japan was canceled after the pilot was questioned by the police for rowdy behavior after drinking at an all-night party in his hotel, according to the New York Post.
Japan Airlines made the call to cancel the flight last Wednesday to check on the mental and physical status of the 49-year-old captain. Consequently, the 157 passengers who had bought tickets were forced to transfer to another flight.
The pilot — who has not yet been identified — had dinner in Dallas with other crew members around 6:00 p.m. After the dinner, he partied in both the hotel lounge and his room, according to a second report.
A hotel employee asked the partying group to be quiet around 2:00 a.m. before calling the police after concerns about the pilot’s speech and behavior.
The employee described the pilot as being disruptive.
Business Insider reported that according to statement provided by the airline, the authorities questioned the pilot and warned him not to cause any more problems in the hotel.
The airline’s decision to cancel the Tokyo-bound flight stemmed from concerns over the captain’s mental and physical well-being. The airline also said that it was unable to find a replacement pilot for the Wednesday morning flight, which is why all the passengers were forced to find another flight to their destination.
While it is not a common occurrence, there have been several instances of pilots showing up for work under the influence. In March, a Delta Airlines captain came to work under the influence, along with a half-empty bottle of Jagermeister in his bag that was sent through an X-ray screener.
He was subsequently sentenced to 10 months in prison for the stunt.
The Federal Aviation Administration states that a pilot should avoid all alcohol while preparing to fly a plane. It also suggests pilots wait a full 24 hours between their last drink of alcohol and flying an aircraft.
“Use good judgment,” the FAA states. “Your life and the lives of your passengers are at risk if you drink and fly. Keep in mind that regulations alone are no guarantee that problems won’t occur. It is far more important for pilots to understand the negative effects of alcohol and its deadly impact on flight safety.”
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Author: Collin Jones
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