A drunk pilot who tried to fly a Delta Airlines plane from Scotland to the US has been jailed for 10 months. According to the GuardianCaptain Lawrence Russell, 63, was found to be almost two and a half times over the alcohol limit on the day he was due to fly the Boeing 767 plane from Edinburgh to New York.
The incident took place on June 16 last year when Russell arrived at baggage control in his pilot uniform 80 minutes before departure. However, his hand luggage was rejected by the X-ray scanner when it was found to contain two bottles of Jagermeister, one of which had been opened and 'just under half full'.
He failed a breath test and his blood sample showed he had 49 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood – the legal limit is 20mg.
The 63-year-old was sentenced at an Edinburgh court after pleading guilty to reporting as a pilot while under the influence of alcohol. Sheriff Alison Stirling said a prison sentence should be imposed as punishment and for the “protection of the public”.
Lynne Barrie, Procurator Fiscal for Lothian and Borders, said: “Lawrence Russell's conduct would have endangered many lives; the consequences could have been catastrophic. He showed a reckless disregard for the safety of his passengers and crew. The pilot of a commercial airliner must hold the lives of hundreds in his hands. He would have put them all in serious danger. This conviction should send the message that these types of crimes will be dealt with vigorously.”
After serving his time, Mr. Russell can be rehired as a pilot and return to Delta if they decide to have him back.
The pilot has two previous convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol in the US. His attorney, Pamela Rodgers, said he abstained from alcohol for 277 days after completing a drug rehabilitation program.
Under Federal Aviation Administration regulations, a pilot cannot have a blood or breath alcohol concentration of 0.04 or more, which is half the legal limit for driving in the United States. The maximum penalty for anyone found guilty of exceeding the prescribed limit is two years' imprisonment.