A Southwest Airlines pilot was taken into custody on Wednesday morning at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia, just before his flight was due to depart. The pilot, identified as 52-year-old David Allsop of New Hampshire, was charged with driving under the influence, according to the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.
Allsop was apprehended shortly before Southwest Flight 3772, destined for Chicago, was scheduled to depart. The flight eventually took off nearly four hours later than its original departure time of 7 a.m.
Southwest Airlines confirmed the incident and stated that they were conducting an internal investigation. Allsop, who is listed as a pilot on his LinkedIn profile, has been temporarily relieved of his duties. The airline expressed its awareness of the situation involving an employee on Flight 3772 and confirmed that the employee had been removed from duty.
The airline also addressed the inconvenience caused to the passengers of Flight 3772 due to the incident. The passengers were accommodated on other flights as Flight 3772 remained grounded. A spokesperson for the airline apologized for the disruption to the passengers’ travel plans and emphasized that the safety of their employees and customers is their top priority.
While it is uncommon for a pilot to be arrested for excessive drinking before a flight, it is not unprecedented. In a similar incident last May, Japan Airlines grounded a flight from Dallas to Tokyo after it was discovered that a pilot had consumed alcohol excessively the night before. Despite not violating the airline’s internal guidelines against drinking within 12 hours of departure, the flight was canceled to assess the pilot’s physical and mental well-being.
Authorities are currently investigating the incident involving Allsop.