A JetBlue pilot was removed moments before takeoff for appearing intoxicated before flying the plane.
On Wednesday morning, authorities relived 52-year-old James Clifton of his duties failing a breathalyzer test. Clifton was preparing to fly from Buffalo Niagara International Airport to Fort Lauderdale when TSA noticed his strange behavior.
According to security, Clifton did not make eye contact nor moved out of the way when somebody passed by. The security officer then notified the police, who investigated the claim shortly after 6 a.m.
The pilot did fail the police’s initial test when asked to follow movement with his eyes. Afterward, Clifton took a breathalyzer test that determined his blood alcohol content was 0.17 percent. That’s four times the permitted amount for pilots.
According to the police report, Clifton said he was drinking the night before, which isn’t allowed for pilots. However, Clifton’s statement came after he had told authorities he had five to six drinks. He then later changed the number to seven to eight beverages. Clifton was taken into custody before an officer took him back to the airport to fly home.
The report also said Clifton “exhibited numerous indications of impairment both in his speech and gait.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says pilots cannot have an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or drink alcohol eight hours before flying. A JetBlue spokesman said the company has “a very strict zero-tolerance internal alcohol policy” but did not disclose what those policies are precisely.
“The FAA is investigating allegations that an airline pilot attempted to report for duty while under the influence of alcohol,” the agency said. “The agency takes these matters seriously.”
James Clifton has since been let go of his position at JetBlue and the scheduled flight took off four hours and 10 minutes late.
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