I saw this on the news tonight. It's good to see some screeners on their toes. What I wonder is how come they were allowed to get that far on the taxiway.Brenthttp://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,56750,00.html

As per report BAC level found with the pilot was .091 and FO .084.In Florida like in several (21)states legal limit is .08.However legal limit in many (29) states is .10Should they be operating the plane there that wouldn't be an issue. This post is not intended by any means to exonorate or to excuse the pilots, after all the law is the law and more should be expected from the commercial pilots . However, I would like to give here this prospective in order not to overract on this particullary "scary" news. Below are the effects of increasing BAL. .02 MELLOW FEELING. SLIGHT BODY WARMTH. LESS INHIBITED. 05 NOTICEABLE RELAXATION. LESS ALERT. LESS SELF-FOCUSED. COORDINATION IMPAIRMENT BEGINS..08 DRUNK DRIVING LIMIT. DEFINITE IMPAIRMENT IN COORDINATION AND JUDGMENT..10 NOISY. POSSIBLE EMBARRASSING BEHAVIOR. MOOD SWINGS. REDUCTION IN REACTION TIME..15 IMPAIRED BALANCE AND MOVEMENT. CLEARLY DRUNK..30 MANY LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS.40 MOST LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS; SOME DIE..50 BREATHING STOPS. MANY DIE.Ted PS. As much as I hate drunks I dislike sensationalistic media frenzy.They treat us all like bunch of kindergarten kids in order to fill their fat bellies.

State laws have nothing to do with this. The FAA has nationwide jurisdiction over pilots operating aircraft, and the maximum BAC allowed by the FAA under any circumstances is 0.04 (FAR 91.17). The airlines also have company rules that are more conservative than the FAA -- usually something like 24 hours bottle-to-throttle, or something similar.Dan

Hmmm, Ted....your "...perspective..." is off.Those figures start at sea-level. As the plane ascends the BAC changes so you might be fine on the ground, but in flight....When you get at altitude there is a magnification of the effects of alcohol. A plane's cabin might be as high as 6 to 7 thousand (or higher) feet that really has an effect.So the effects may sneak up on you as you climb the BAC scale. They may have been .091 at sea-level, but.....This is why we get a lot of passengers who know their "limit" normally get on board and figure its the same in flight.I wish I had the chart in front of me that we get to see what the changes are per 1,000'If they are treated like the NW crew, they are facing Federal Pen time.Yes, this is a BIG Deal to the industry-ask any pilot what questions are on the CAMI application for a flight physical/medical certificate.Timothy

Northwest rehired one of the 1990 pilots convicted in that case and he retired in '98, a 747 Captain.http://www.avweb.com/articles/profiles/lprouse/Timothy

This was a great inspirational story. Making it to the top of one's professtion one time is something, but doing it twice from the ground up is even more. Lets just hope this America West crew has a similar desire to get their lives back on track. Terry

I just hope it inspires someone not to make the mistake in the first place....Timothy

The last time i heard about a drunk pilot was a bloke who was drinking at the local pub (for some hours so the BASI report said).As the report goes, the pilot decided to demonstrate his skills by taking a Archer II for some low level flying around the vacinity of this pub.The aircraft was flying so low that it hit the roof of the pub (2-storey), leading to the loss of all those on board (3 if i'm correct).If anyone reading this has ever got absolutely smashed and then tried to fly the PC? It's BLOODY hard, there's no way i'd attempt a B737!!!!!!!!!