A drunk pilot who tried to fly a Delta Airlines plane from Scotland to the US has been sent to jail for 10 months. According to the Guardian, Captain Lawrence Russell, 63, was found to be almost two-and-a-half times over the alcohol blood limit on the day he was due to pilot the Boeing 767 plane from Edinburgh to New York.
The incident happened on June 16 last year when Mr Russell arrived at baggage control 80 minutes before departure wearing his pilot's uniform. However, his carry-on luggage was rejected by the X-ray scanner when it was found to contain two bottles of Jagermeister, one of which was opened and “just under half full.''
He failed a breath test and his blood sample showed he had 49 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood - the legal limit being 20mg.
The 63-year-old was sentenced at an Edinburgh court after pleading guilty to reporting for duty as a pilot while being impaired through alcohol. Sheriff Alison Stirling said a prison sentence had to be imposed as a 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 aircraft holds the lives of hundreds in his hands. He would have put all of them at serious risk. This conviction should send the message that crimes of this nature will be robustly dealt with.''
After serving his time, Mr Russell may be re-employed as a pilot and may return to Delta if they decide to have him back.
The pilot has two previous convictions for driving while under the influence of alcohol in the US. His defence attorney, Pamela Rodgers, said he has not drunk alcohol for 277 days after completing a rehab programme.
Federal Aviation Administration regulations say a pilot cannot have a blood or breath alcohol concentration of .04 or more, which is half the legal limit for driving in the United States. The maximum penalty for anyone found guilty of being "over the prescribed limit" is a two-year jail sentence.
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