Passenger Taken Off Flight for Drunk Pilot Joke

[dbaker]

Passenger Taken Off Flight for Drunk Pilot Joke

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - An air passenger who jokingly questioned whether the plane's pilots were sober was removed from an Americas West flight Monday, one week after two of the airline's pilots were arrested in Miami on charges of operating an aircraft while drunk.


America West spokeswoman Patty Nowack said Tuesday the passenger was removed from the Tucson-bound plane and later placed aboard another flight.

"Safety is no joking matter. It is taken very seriously. we try to make the best decisions for all passengers based on what the situation is at hand," Nowack said.

San Francisco International Airport spokesman Ron Wilson said the incident occurred shortly after boarding when the woman asked flight attendants if they had "checked the crew for sobriety."

Wilson said the decision to remove the passenger was left to the airline.