John Francis Maguire, 50, of Chadds Ford, Pa., has been charged with operating an aircraft under the influence of alcohol.
John Francis Maguire, 50, was arrested on Saturday after he allegedly arrived drunk for a scheduled flight from an airport near Detroit to Philadelphia, officials said. (Wayne County Airport Authority) An American Airlines co-pilot arrested this weekend after he allegedly tried to fly a Philadelphia-bound flight while under the influence of alcohol "smelled of liquor and was unsteady walking to his gate," according to a police report.
John Francis Maguire, 50, was pulled off the aircraft that was scheduled to depart from Detroit Metropolitan Airport Saturday morning and later took a breathalyzer test that showed he had a blood alcohol content of .081 percent, the report said.
The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits pilots from operating or attempting to operate a plane with a blood alcohol content of .04 percent or greater.
Maguire, of Chadds Ford, Pa., has been charged with operating an aircraft under the influence of alcohol, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said on Monday. Maria Miller, a spokeswoman in the prosecutor's office, said on Wednesday that an arraignment date has not yet been set.
Pilot charged with drinking before Philly-bound flight
A Transportation Security Administration screener first raised suspicions that Maguire appeared to be under the influence of alcohol after he went through security around 6:30 a.m.
The employee reported that Maguire "smelled of liquor and was unsteady walking to his gate," according to the police report from the Wayne County Airport Authority.
The report said officers found Maguire in the cockpit of the plane where he was wearing a baseball cap and sitting in his seat sideways. Maguire told the authorities, who could smell alcohol and mouth wash on Maguire's breath, that he was having trouble with his seat.
The other pilot, according to the report, told officials to "take him."
Maguire initially denied that he had been drinking that morning or the previous night, according to the report, but later said the last time he drank was 8 p.m. the night before.
Maguire was arrested and later released, pending arraignment.
American Airlines spokeswoman Laura Nedbal said in a statement on Monday that "this is a serious matter and we will handle it appropriately as the safety and care of our customers and employees is our highest priority."
But Nedbal said "out of respect for this employee's privacy we will not have further details to release."
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