JetBlue pilot James Clifton was taken from the cockpit by police minutes before takeoff from Buffalo Niagara (NY) airport yesterday and was later found to have a blood alcohol level of more than four times the limit legal to fly, according to federal reports.
Clifton, 52 and a resident of Orlando, Florida, took a breathalyzer after the police removed him from the plane that was to depart for Fort Lauderdale, a spokesman for the Niagara Border Transportation Authority (NFTA) told The Buffalo News.
His blood alcohol content was 0,17%, which is twice the limit of 0,04% to drive a car and four times the BAC limit of 0,04% imposed on drivers under the rules of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
He was allegedly visibly drunk when he went through security before is to board the plane, which led the agents of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to notify the police.
The pilot, who also carried a registered firearm, “ seemed ‘off,’” according to TSA workers, commented New York Post. When questioned, Clifton denied having been drinking the morning before the flight, but eventually admitted that he was he had had “7 to 8” drinks at a bar the night before. The next morning, he missed the JetBlue shuttle from the hotel and took an Uber to the airport, according to the police report.
Clifton was not charged with any premises violation, but the incident was reported to authorities federals. A JetBlue spokesman said the pilot had been removed from his duties.
Due to his arrest , the flight originally scheduled to leave Buffalo yesterday at 6: 15 am was delayed four hours and 15 minutes.