Southwest pilot arrested in SAV

[CFIT99]

I’m totally for addiction therapy. But well before being convicted of endangering others by operating a vehicle under the influence. I remember reading some stats about how many times someone’s usually driven drunk before getting caught and…it was scary.

I’ve heard similar stats, interested to hear the stats on who volunteered vs voluntold to go to HIMS

 

[arkavgal]

I'm not saying that he is...but the mind of an alcoholic doesn't think that way, it's literally a disease that is telling him that to survive he needs to do this (I'm generalizing greatly but the point is still there)

I agree, in part. Yes, with a substance abuse disorder, the brain associates the drug with a survival. Without the drug, the brain thinks it cannot survive.

However, the decision to sit in that seat and fly with people in the back is a choice. He could have called in sick. Does he need help? Absolutely. But there are certain things that should be a 'never' event in a career. One of those is flying while intoxicated. To attempt to do so demonstrates a gross lack of judgment that one is impaired, or careless disregard if one is aware of just how impaired one happens to be.

I can have compassion for him as a person, and can have empathy regarding his illness. I struggle to have empathy for his lack of judgement. People with substance abuse disorders often relapse. This could happen again if he's given a second chance.There have to be consequences for this. I don't think he should be able to fly commercially again.

 

[pwttogfk]

I agree, in part. Yes, with a substance abuse disorder, the brain associates the drug with a survival. Without the drug, the brain thinks it cannot survive.

However, the decision to sit in that seat and fly with people in the back is a choice. He could have called in sick. Does he need help? Absolutely. But there are certain things that should be a 'never' event in a career. One of those is flying while intoxicated. To attempt to do so demonstrates a gross lack of judgment that one is impaired, or careless disregard if one is aware of just how impaired one happens to be.

I can have compassion for him as a person, and can have empathy regarding his illness. I struggle to have empathy for his lack of judgement. People with substance abuse disorders often relapse. This could happen again if he's given a second chance.There have to be consequences for this. I don't think he should be able to fly commercially again.

Exactly. Fantastic way of putting it. I absolutely want an environment to exist where people can seek help for addiction, but he crossed a line that simply can’t be crossed. There need to be ways to get help so it never gets to that point.

 

[FlyingAccountant]

He refused the blood draw, that’s a career ender full stop.

Yeah, so what are the legalities here in terms of his certificates? Is it just, he declined the blood draw, that's the bullet in the head of his career or does he get some sort of due process beyond that? Is there any way back for him?

The FAA database seems to suggest all of his tickets were invalidated and Southwest has stated he was terminated.

Its interesting though - at one point in the video, one of the cops mentions it had been reported that he had been drinking until 4AM and it was obviously early in the morning in the video, so this took place not much longer after that. I wonder if one of his crew reported him? If the TSA had reported him to law enforcement, how would they have known what he was doing before he got to the airport?

 

[DeltaAlphaNovember]

Yes there are a lot of options to get help for drug/alcohol addiction out there. The issue is most people that have an addiction do not seek the help because they feel like they do not have a problem. Until it is a problem. Be it a DUI or whatever.

Back before HIMS came about people would never fly again. There is a book that I've yet to read, but its the story of a pilot that had an alcohol addiction and eventually went back to flying and he went through hell to get back in the flight deck.

As far as the volunteer vs. voluntold, I am of the opinion that it is more voluntold due to a DUI or failed random drug screen. Either one gets reported to the FAA and it's an immediate loss of medical and in some cases loss of all your tickets.