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Pilot charged with flying while drunk
A former Alaska Airlines captain has appeared in federal court in Los Angeles charged with being under the influence of alcohol while piloting a passenger jet.
David Hans Arntson, 60, was at the control of two flights in and out of Portland International Airport in 2014.
After landing the second flight on June 20 2014, at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, he was selected for a random drug test.
Two test samples showed Arntson’s blood alcohol concentration at 0.134% and 0.142%, above the 0.10% limit for operational airline pilots.
Arntson was removed from duty and retired for medical reasons, court documents said.
The airline issue a statement: “Alaska Airlines has an uncompromising commitment to safety and compliance and we put the safety of our passengers and our employees above all else. We have a zero tolerance policy for employees, including pilots, who fail alcohol and drug tests.
“Mr Arntson was immediately removed from duty, he never flew for Alaska after June 20 and he left the company soon after.”
Arntson posted $25,000 bail and faces a maximum jail term of 15 years.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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