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?(Image from SAV airport Facebook)Body camera footage of the arrest of a Southwest Airlines pilot who was arrested on Jan. 15 this year was released last Thursday.
According to Chatham County arrest records, 53-year-old David Allsop was arrested at the Savannah/ Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) for driving under the influence. Fox News reported that Allsop was apprehended before the Chicago-bound Southwest Flight 3772 left. According to CBS News, a source said that Allsop allegedly smelled of alcohol and may have shown other signs of intoxication. Southwest Airlines said it was aware of the situation and the pilot had been removed from duty. FlightAware showed that the flight left over four hours later than scheduled.
The footage shows that Allsop told the officers that he drank about 3 beers 10 hours before the flight. When asked about an alcohol-like smell, he showed he had nicotine patches in his mouth and a case of them in his bag. He later consented to field sobriety tests, and allegedly failed two of the three administered. When asked, he refused to do a blood test.
According to the Independent, Allsop's pilot certification was revoked by the FAA on January 15. David Chaiken, Allsop's attorney, told the Independent that the footage actually makes clear the pilot did not commit a crime.
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"The recently released bodycam video confirms what should be obvious to anyone who watches it- Captain Allsop committed no crime," said Chaiken to The Independent. "Experts who have reviewed the video have concluded that the tests that led to his arrest were not performed correctly and that the proper procedures were not followed."
The FAA recommends at least eight hours "from bottle to throttle" and prohibits flying under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. Some airlines and pilots take a more conservative approach, and wait 12-24 hours from the last use of alcohol before flying. The FAA reminds pilots to consider the effects of a hangover, which can mean you are not in the best physical condition to fly, even eight hours after drinking. Alcohol can seriously inhibit pilots, impairing their ability to fly an ILS approach or to fly IFR, and even perform a routine VFR flight, regardless of flying experience. The FAA said studies have shown a decline in a pilot's performance with a blood alcohol concentration as low as 0.025 percent.