Pilot suspected of alcohol use before flight

ATLANTA -- A pilot has been grounded after he was stopped from boarding an Atlanta-bound flight by a security screener who smelled alcohol on his breath, officials said Monday.

Investigators for ASA, a regional carrier, and the Federal Aviation Administration were awaiting results of blood and urine tests to determine whether the unidentified pilot was drunk.

The pilot, a co-pilot on Flight 4240 from Wilmington, N.C., was stopped Sunday as he tried to board the plane. He has returned to Georgia and is on paid leave, ASA spokesman Kent Landers said.

The test results were expected Tuesday.

The flight had 27 passengers who had not yet boarded the twin-engine plane. They were rebooked on other flights,and Flight 4240 departed with another crew, nearly six hours late.

Airline officials would not say how long the pilot has worked for ASA, a Delta Air Lines carrier that operates eight flights between Atlanta and Wilmington each day.

Flight crew members may not have more than a 0.04 percent blood-alcohol level and may not drink alcohol within eight hours before duty, according to FAA regulations. Violations can lead to license revocation.

"We take these allegations very seriously and will conduct this investigation in a thorough manner," Landers said.

"ASA maintains a zero tolerance policy for alcohol abuse on the job."

If he was found to be legally drunk, the pilot could be fired.

Earlier this month, two America West pilots were fired after they were accused of being drunk as they prepared to takeoff from Miami to Phoenix. They were ordered to return to the gate and were arrested.

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