United States: a drunk pilot arrested just before the take-off of his commercial flight
A Southwest Airlines pilot was apprehended on January 15 at Savannah Airport in Georgia, while preparing to take off with a plane full of passengers. David Allsop, the commander of flight 3772 bound for Chicago, was arrested for drunk driving just a few minutes before the scheduled departure.
According to the Savannah Hilton Head Airport police, it was the security officers who raised the alarm after detecting a strong smell of alcohol from the pilot during checks. The police, equipped with body cameras, then directly intervened in the cockpit to remove him.
Allsop initially refused to submit to sobriety tests but later agreed. The report indicates that he had difficulty following an object with his gaze, standing on one leg, and showed characteristic physical signs such as bloodshot eyes and a red face. He also refused a blood test meant to measure his blood alcohol content. The pilot was taken into custody for drunk driving and later released on bail.
Following the release of the footage this week, Southwest Airlines confirmed that they immediately suspended the pilot, indicating that he is no longer employed by the company. Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the civil aviation regulation authority, revoked his license.
However, David Allsop’s lawyer disputes the authorities’ version, asserting that the footage in no way proves a state of inebriation. He represents his client as a respected veteran, a former military officer who served over ten years in the US military, and a professional aviator with no major incidents in nearly twenty years of career.
