Pilot arrested in cockpit after screener smells alcohol

Nugget · 01-14-2005, 08:27 AM

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/13/int....ap/index.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by AP NewsWire

An armed AirTran Airways pilot was charged with operating an aircraft under the influence after a federal screener at McCarran International Airport smelled alcohol, authorities said Thursday.

haze · 01-14-2005, 01:18 PM

I totally agree with AirTran's actions, they canned his a$$! This is something that absolutely cannot be tolerated. This is an industry-wide problem, I'm all for every single captain of every single airline being breathalized on every single flight. I fly AirTran, Delta, Southwest, etc. and want to know that my captain is sober before I put my 5 year old son and 6 month old daughter onboard. Kudos to AirTran for showing this idiot the door:

Quote:

AirTran fires captain arrested on Atlanta-bound flight

By RUSSELL GRANTHAM
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 01/14/05
AirTran Airways said it fired one of its captains Friday after his arrest in Las Vegas for allegedly failing an alcohol breath test before a planned red-eye flight to Atlanta.

Oliver Reason Jr. was booked on a charge of operation of an aircraft under the influence shortly after midnight Thursday morning, said Sgt. Chris Jones of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Federal security screeners summoned police after noticing the AirTran pilot "smelled of alcoholic beverage," Jones said. AirTran said the airport screeners notified the airline as well.

Reason is a member of the Transportation Security Administration's Federal Flight Deck Officer Program and was carrying a weapon, AirTran spokesman Tad Hutcheson said.

AirTran said the 38-year-old Newnan man was on the plane but had not yet taken command.

"It's a breach of company policy," Hutcheson said of Reason's arrest. "We never dispatched the plane."

The Orlando-based airline canceled the 11:45 pm flight, which had 60 passengers on board, and placed passengers on other flights.

haze · 01-18-2005, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Pilot Facing Intoxication Charge Is Fired

Source: Comtex News Network (AP Online - Comtex)

AirTran Airways has fired a pilot who was arrested and charged with operating an aircraft while under the influence of alcohol.

A breath test found that pilot Oliver Paul Reason Jr. had a blood alcohol level of 0.09 when he was arrested Wednesday, according to a police report. The legal limit for driving in Nevada is 0.08, and federal regulations prohibit flying at 0.04 percent or higher.

After being released from the Clark County Detention Center on Thursday, Reason, 37, was flown to Atlanta, where company officials fired him for violating a policy against flying with a blood-alcohol level higher than 0.04 percent, said Tad Hutcheson, an airline spokesman.

Reason did not return a message left at his home in Newnan, Ga., near Atlanta. The National Pilots Association, which represents AirTran pilots, would not comment on the case.

Las Vegas police were called Wednesday after a security checkpoint screener smelled alcohol on Reason's breath. Reason told officers he had not had a drink in about 10 hours, according to the arrest report.

Orlando-based AirTran Holdings Inc. said the Atlanta-bound aircraft was held at the gate and the pilot never took command of the plane. The flight was canceled.

Reason could lose his pilot license if a Federal Aviation Administration investigation finds he violated regulations. Besides the blood-alcohol limit, federal rules also prohibit pilots from drinking alcohol less than eight hours before a flight.

BovineOne · 01-19-2005, 11:16 AM

His picture is in http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/...13576&SecID=33

jetmech717 · 01-19-2005, 07:33 PM

Sad for him. He was with the company for a long time, and was a good pilot. I hate to see a career ruined with 1 night and 1 bad decision. Unfortunatly this is one of those things that you dont get a "slap on the wrist" for. If you mess up on something like this, )even if you have a perfect record) the company has to do the right thing.

haze · 01-20-2005, 10:44 AM

It is regrettable that his long career as a commercial captian has probably come to an end over a single incident. But in aviation a single incident can be the difference in life and death. Which is why I'm glad to see AirTran act so swiftly with zero tollerance. This exemplifies just how serious they are about the safety of their passengers...

NiGHTS · 01-21-2005, 01:47 AM

Very happy about AirTran's quick response

Captain Speaking · 03-22-2005, 01:38 PM

Strange . . . . . no mention in the Delta forum about the Delta pilot who was arrested in Germany last week, who was pulled off the flight for suspicion of being under the influence. . . . or the ASA (Delta Connection) pilot fired last year for the same thing . . . . and nothing in the America West forum about their two pilots arrested in Miami, even though the forum goes back that far . . . . .

No, but the AirTran pilot gets his own string in this forum, and even his picture on ITYT.

To even pretend that this site has some shred of objectivity is ridiculous.

haze · 03-22-2005, 04:06 PM

Eggzackly. I've been beating that specific horse to death here on this site for nearly two years. We're speaking to a brick wall though, there's a blatant agenda at work here

717driver · 03-22-2005, 11:18 PM

The charges have been dropped against the AirTran pilot.

717Doc · 04-17-2005, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Fired AirTran pilot wants job back after being cleared of alcohol charge
Apr 15, 2005, 3:39 PM

Las Vegas, NV- A fired AirTran Airways pilot will seek his job back after prosecutors dropped charges that he was intoxicated on a passenger jet he was about to fly to Atlanta, his lawyer said Friday.

Oliver Paul Reason Jr. "wasn't in violation of the law," said his Las Vegas attorney, John Watkins. "I'm sure he'll seek his job back." Clark County District Attorney David Roger said it would have been impossible for prosecutors to prove the charge of operating an aircraft under the influence. Nevada state law doesn't specify a legal limit for blood-alcohol in pilots, Roger said, and Reason was arrested Jan. 12 in the galley -- not in the cockpit -- of the aircraft at a gate at McCarran International Airport.

Reason, 38, of Newnan, Ga., was taken into custody after a federal screener reported smelling alcohol on him and alerted police. The flight to Atlanta was canceled and its 60 passengers were booked on other flights. Authorities reported a breath test measured Reason's blood-alcohol percentage above the 0.08 percent limit set for drivers in Nevada. Watkins said he would have challenged that test.

Roger said Reason passed a field sobriety test conducted by arresting officers, and blood drawn four hours later put his blood-alcohol content at 0.01. Federal law prohibits pilots from flying if they have a blood-alcohol level of more than 0.04 percent, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Donn Walker said. AirTran officials in Orlando, Fla., did not immediately respond Friday to requests for comment.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Captain Speaking · 04-19-2005, 11:36 AM

I have seen conflicting reports regarding his BAC test. The article I read said that it was .024 after 4 hours, which is still in violation of AirTran's rules, which are more stringent than the FAR's (Federal Aviation Regulation).

needleballairspeed · 06-18-2005, 10:12 AM

The America West pilots go to prison but this guy goes free because he was an FFDO. The LAS cops protected him because he was a brother. Amazing, they waited 4 hours to do the blood test. Of course he passed

My cousin works there and told me this information was floating around AirTran. What a travesty!!

Captain Speaking · 06-20-2005, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by needleballairspeed

The America West pilots go to prison but this guy goes free because he was an FFDO. The LAS cops protected him because he was a brother.

That is not correct, and if I were you, I would be very, very careful about spreading false information.

First of all, the AWA pilots had actually pushed off of the gate. The AirTran incident happened at the gate, with Reason in the galley, not in the cockpit, according to published reports in the Las Vegas newspaper. From a legal aspect, that is a big difference.

As for your statement that the LAS cops "protected" him . . . they arrested him, took him to jail, and allowed his picture to be released to all of the news media. That is hardly "protecting" anyone, and if I were you, I would think long and hard about insinuating that something different happened, unless you happen to like fighting lawsuits for slander and libel, because when you start posting opinion as fact in a public forum, you are certainly taking that chance.

Reason will never work at AirTran again, regardless of the outcome of the FAA investigation, of that I feel very sure, but for you to be on a public forum, with little knowlege of the whole case, making these statements, is both reckless and irresponsible, IMHO.

717Doc · 06-21-2005, 09:25 AM

Captain Speaking wrote..

Quote:

Reason will never work at AirTran again, regardless of the outcome of the FAA investigation, of that I feel very sure

Just wondering where you get that kinda info from or is this just speculation?

01-20-2005, 10:44 AM	#6
haze Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: ATL Posts: 271	Yes, But... It is regrettable that his long career as a commercial captian has probably come to an end over a single incident. But in aviation a single incident can be the difference in life and death. Which is why I'm glad to see AirTran act so swiftly with zero tollerance. This exemplifies just how serious they are about the safety of their passengers...

03-22-2005, 04:06 PM	#9
haze Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: ATL Posts: 271	Nailed It Eggzackly. I've been beating that specific horse to death here on this site for nearly two years. We're speaking to a brick wall though, there's a blatant agenda at work here

06-18-2005, 10:12 AM	#13
needleballairspeed Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 1	Get Out Of Jail Free Card The America West pilots go to prison but this guy goes free because he was an FFDO. The LAS cops protected him because he was a brother. Amazing, they waited 4 hours to do the blood test. Of course he passed My cousin works there and told me this information was floating around AirTran. What a travesty!!

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01-19-2005, 11:16 AM	#4
BovineOne Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: AUS Posts: 133	His picture is in http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/...13576&SecID=33

01-19-2005, 07:33 PM	#5
jetmech717 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Atlanta Hartsfield Int. Airport Posts: 171	Sad for him. He was with the company for a long time, and was a good pilot. I hate to see a career ruined with 1 night and 1 bad decision. Unfortunatly this is one of those things that you dont get a "slap on the wrist" for. If you mess up on something like this, )even if you have a perfect record) the company has to do the right thing.

01-21-2005, 01:47 AM	#7
NiGHTS Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: YYC Posts: 13	Very happy about AirTran's quick response

03-22-2005, 01:38 PM	#8
Captain Speaking Junior Member Coach Class Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: ATL Posts: 28	Strange . . . . . no mention in the Delta forum about the Delta pilot who was arrested in Germany last week, who was pulled off the flight for suspicion of being under the influence. . . . or the ASA (Delta Connection) pilot fired last year for the same thing . . . . and nothing in the America West forum about their two pilots arrested in Miami, even though the forum goes back that far . . . . . No, but the AirTran pilot gets his own string in this forum, and even his picture on ITYT. To even pretend that this site has some shred of objectivity is ridiculous.

03-22-2005, 11:18 PM	#10
717driver Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: ATL Posts: 19	The charges have been dropped against the AirTran pilot.

04-19-2005, 11:36 AM	#12
Captain Speaking Junior Member Coach Class Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: ATL Posts: 28	I have seen conflicting reports regarding his BAC test. The article I read said that it was .024 after 4 hours, which is still in violation of AirTran's rules, which are more stringent than the FAR's (Federal Aviation Regulation).