A veteran Alaska Airlines pilot will plead guilty to charges he flew a commercial flight while over the alcohol limit.
In a plea deal David Hans Arntson admitted he had an alcohol problem for much of his time as an airline pilot over the last 20 years.
U.S. Attorney’s Office said he had ‘piloted passenger airline flights while under the influence of alcohol.’
It came to light when Arntson flew a return journey from Portland, Oregon, to John Wayne Airport in 2014.
Two breathalyzer tests showed he had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.134% and 0.142%.
Both are well over the federal limit for pilots.
Alaska Airlines said Arntson immediately quit his job after the failed tests
It took until January 2016 before Arntson was arrested and formally charged with drunk flying.
He was also charged with giving false statements to a government agency after an interview with a transportation department investigator but they have been dropped.
Federal prosecutors and Arntson’s attorney agreed to impose a prison sentence of a year and a day and three years of supervised release.
"Thankfully, Mr. Arntson was never involved in an accident, but his conduct could have resulted in tragic consequences. Very few people will ever hold the lives of so many people in their hands at one time," said US Attorney Nicola T. Hanna said in a statement.
