United Airlines Pilot Admits To Drinking Before Flight

[AeroSpace News]

Erwin Washington, a 51 year old United Airlines Boeing 767 Captain, admitted to a London court on 5 January 2010, that he showed up to work at Heathrow Airport in November 2009 while intoxicated at three times the legal alcohol limit.

Published reports say that just prior to departure on a flight with 124 passengers and 11 crew to Chicago a colleague smelled alcohol on his breath. Police arrested him and the subsequent breath test indicated he had 31 micrograms of alcohol per 100 milliliters of breath. The limit is nine.

Apparently UAL has suspended the pilot subject to the outcome of all investigations.

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