Airliner pilot jailed for drinking

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by CaptainMattJ.

What about sleep deprivation? Studies have shown that a person suffering from lack of sleep exhibits the same impairment as if they were drinking. How do they go about punishing a pilot who shows up with an hour of sleep?

They don't, a pilot who shows up for work unrested is expected to make a "fatigue call" - much like calling in sick, they just call the crew scheduling department, inform them that you're un-rested. They will remove you from the schedule for x number of hours or possibly the remainder of the day's trip sequence depending on how much flying you are scheduled for.

Originally Posted by CaptainMattJ.

Idealistically as long as a pilot can fly the aircraft with the necessary skill and alertness, then there shouldn't really be a problem.

If the plane suffers damage, an incident, an accident - no matter the reason for the loss - even if the pilot was completely not at fault; if ONE person is injured, killed, maimed the fact that YOU the captain had ONE beer prior to departure. Had ANY alcohol in your blood stream completely erodes any credibility you have, it opens YOU and the airline you work for to untold millions of dollars of liability, it results in termination of your employment and the loss of a career you have invested decades worth of time and hundreds of thousands of dollars into. It results in you personally being sued and the company you worked for being sued for untold sums of money.

no matter how "capable" you feel - even after a single shot of whiskey - it is not worth it. if you are even suffering the residual effects of a hangover 18 hours after drinking, call in sick, thats what reserve pilots are for.