A Southwest Airlines pilot was allegedly removed from the cockpit of a plane and arrested for driving under the influence ahead of a flight from Savannah, Ga., to Chicago, according to a CBS News report.
David Paul Allsop, 52, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence by the Savannah Airport Police Department on Wednesday, arrest records show. His bond is set at $3,500.
According to arrest records, Allsop, a New Hampshire-based pilot, was arrested at 7 a.m., after what a Southwest spokesperson called a “situation on Flight 3772 Wednesday morning.”
He has “been removed from duty,” the spokesperson said.
“Customers were accommodated on other flights and we apologize for the disruption to their travel plans. There’s nothing more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Employees and Customers,” they said.
Information regarding Allsop’s blood alcohol concentration has not been released. Federal Aviation Administration rules prohibit pilots from performing crew member duties within eight hours after drinking alcohol or while under the influence of alcohol.
