in his pocket The pilot of Delta Airlines was sentenced to 10 months in prison for arriving to work under the influence of alcohol with a partially consumed bottle of Jägermeister in his possession.
A pilot working for Delta Airlines received a 10-month jail sentence from a Scottish court for appearing intoxicated during a flight.
According to a statement released by the Judiciary of Scotland, Lawrence Russell Jr. admitted to serving as a pilot while surpassing the legal limit for blood alcohol. Such statements are made at the discretion of the judge.
Russell, a native of Georgia and American citizen, was set to pilot a Boeing 767 plane on a trip from Edinburgh International Airport to JFK International Airport in New York City in June of 2023. He reached the airport at 9:15 a.m. local time, approximately 90 minutes prior to the departure time of the flight.
The BBC announced that Russell’s breath test indicated levels that were twice the maximum allowed amount of alcohol for pilots. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the legal alcohol limit for pilots is 0.04, which is half of the limit for operating a vehicle. It is also prohibited for pilots to have consumed alcohol within eight hours of flying according to FAA regulations.
Russell was taken into custody and a blood sample was acquired, once again revealing the presence of alcohol in his system. As a result, the scheduled flight to New York was not able to depart, requiring the airline to find alternative accommodations for numerous passengers.
Sheriff Alison Stirling emphasized the importance of a prison term as both a retribution and a safeguard for the community. She also mentioned that Russell could return to his career as a pilot once he obtains an Aviation Medical Certificate.
According to the BBC, it was stated in court that Russell had previously been convicted twice in the United States for driving while intoxicated.
According to BBC, Russell received treatment for alcoholism and was diagnosed with Severe Alcohol Use Disorder. He was treated at a facility in Georgia and has been alcohol-free for 277 days, as reported by his lawyer. As a result of his treatment, Stirling shortened his sentence from 15 months to 10 months.
Kerry Breen
Source: cbsnews.com