A flight attendant working a United Express flight from Chicago to South Bend, Indiana, was arrested after landing on August 2, 2019, and charged with public intoxication, according to court records and reporting from CNN.
The flight was operated by Air Wisconsin for United. Court papers identify the flight attendant as Julianne. According to a St. Joseph County Superior Court summons, the charging document filed by chief deputy prosecuting attorney Eric Tamashasky said her condition on the flight “endangered the life of another person, to wit: the passengers on the flight.”
Passenger Aaron told CNN that he saw the flight attendant leaning against the galley and that she stopped partway through the safety announcement. He also said the pilots called the cabin before takeoff and it took several rings before she picked up. Once the plane was in the air, he said, she appeared to fall asleep for most of the short flight, and another passenger helped buckle her seat belt.
After landing at South Bend International Airport, passengers told airport officials they feared for their safety, according to court records. Some speculated that she was either drunk or having a medical issue.
Per the court records, Julianne was arrested at the airport and told officers she had two vodka shooters before work that morning. A portable breath test at the jail reportedly showed a blood alcohol concentration of .204. The FAA limit for aviation safety sensitive positions is .04. Jessica McBrier, a spokeswoman for the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office, said the charge is one count of public intoxication, a Class B misdemeanor.
Air Wisconsin said in a statement that the flight attendant involved is no longer employed by the airline and that the company will keep cooperating with local authorities.
A statement from Julianne was not included in the court records and news reports available at the time. The charge is an accusation, and the case had not been decided.
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