Drunk Pilot Causes Flight Cancellation in Texas

According to Business Insider, a night out on the town for a Japan Airlines pilot canceled a flight from Dallas to Tokyo. The trip started with dinner with the crew in Dallas and then progressed to the hotel bar. 

The good times continued in the pilot's hotel room, where the hotel security staff asked the group to quiet down because of complaints from other guests.

The pilot's behavior escalated to the point where the police had to be called for disorderly conduct. The police questioned the man and issued a stern warning, emphasizing the need for him to avoid any further disturbances.

At that point, Japan Airlines canceled the flight because a replacement pilot couldn't be found. The pilot's great time partying and drinking caused 157 passengers to miss the flight to Tokyo. The airline said they needed to evaluate the pilot and the captain's physical and mental well-being.

The airline had to scramble to place the passengers on other flights to get them to their destinations. While it is rare that flights are canceled due to alcohol issues with pilots, it does happen. Several recent incidents of airline pilots reporting for duty under the influence have occurred.

The standards are set to where a pilot's ability to fly a plane is significantly impaired by alcohol use. The number of serious errors pilots commit dramatically increases at or above concentrations of 0.04% blood alcohol.

Yes, it was a massive inconvenience for the passengers, but imagine if the pilot's alcohol level had not been discovered before the flight. There could have been a significant air accident due to the pilot's poor judgment.