A Southwest Airlines pilot who was accused of driving under the influence and arrested at a Georgia airport Wednesday is from New Hampshire, according to police records.
David Allsop, 52, of Bedford, New Hampshire, was arrested by Savannah Airport police on a DUI charge, according to the report from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.
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Allsop was stopped when a TSA officer smelled alcohol on the pilot and reported it to law enforcement, who arrested the pilot at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, a source familiar with the situation told NBC News.
NBC News reports that Allsop was scheduled for a flight to Chicago. Photos from passengers show police on the plane. The flight wound up delayed for hours, according to flight records.
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"We’re aware of a situation involving an employee on Flight 3772 this morning from Savannah. The Employee has been removed from duty," Southwest Airlines said in a statement to NBC News.
"There’s nothing more important to Southwest than the safety of our employees and customers.”
Mark Weinkrantz, a retired commercial pilot and aviation expert, said it's essential that pilots be on their top performance at all times, which is why a DUI allegation is so concerning.
"You never can tell when that situation will present itself in a heartbeat where you have to be on your game, there is no room to make a mistake," he explained.
FAA regulations "prohibit pilots from using alcohol while on duty or from flying, or attempting to fly, an aircraft within eight hours of consuming alcohol or if they have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04% or greater," the agency said in a statement. Pilots are also required to report any drug or alcohol-related motor vehicle incidents.
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