A Southwest Airlines pilot was dramatically pulled from the cockpit just minutes before takeoff after claims he was drunk. Police and the airline launched urgent investigations—but was he truly impaired, or caught in a serious misunderstanding? Watch as shocking behind-the-scenes details unfold, leaving passengers and crew in disbelief.
👉 Don’t miss this unbelievable aviation moment that could have changed everything.#SouthwestAirlines #PilotScandal #DrunkPilot #AirlineNews #BreakingNews #CockpitDrama #AviationCrisis #PoliceInvestigation #FlightSafety #AirlineControversy
👉 Don’t miss this unbelievable aviation moment that could have changed everything.#SouthwestAirlines #PilotScandal #DrunkPilot #AirlineNews #BreakingNews #CockpitDrama #AviationCrisis #PoliceInvestigation #FlightSafety #AirlineControversy
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NewsTranscript
00:00the officer quickly asked the pilot when he last had a drink attempting to establish a timeline
00:10for impairment last night how many hours ago uh like 10 hours ago at least
00:16how many drinks did you have a few beers that's it define a few beers
00:23define a few beers like three okay yeah what'd you drink like beer no light no light yeah anything else
00:32nope okay who are you with my fo okay yeah would you be willing to provide uh feel sobriety with
00:42me right now no why not there's no need well i can smell an odor consistent with an alcoholic beverage
00:49oh sorry please what was that rose you have any fresh ones that haven't been in your mouth yeah
00:57right in my bed
00:59thank you
01:06you're just like this one i can smell it
01:13yeah
01:15yeah
01:17yeah
01:19yeah
01:20yeah
01:21yeah
01:23yeah
01:25yeah
01:26yeah
01:29yeah
01:31yeah
01:32yeah
01:33The officer explained to the pilot that someone had detected the smell of alcohol, leaving
01:56the pilot confused about who would have made that claim.
01:59The officer then began to explain why the concern was raised.
02:29What did you do?
02:30Feel sobriety?
02:31Sure.
02:32Do you have a jacket or something?
02:36I'm going to do the eyes first.
02:48Just watch it.
02:49I know you're not certified, so I have to do it, but just watch for clues and stuff.
02:55This would be a brand new uncharted territory.
02:59Officers conducted a standardized field sobriety test, a series of eye and balance exercises
03:04used to check for signs of alcohol impairment.
03:06We'll do that.
03:07We'll go ahead and do 173.
03:08Do you have any date time?
03:09Yeah.
03:10We do.
03:11I don't have my phone, but maybe my watch is dead, but it's like a few minutes.
03:21Okay.
03:22This can go quickly.
03:23Okay.
03:24Okay.
03:25So do you have any health issues?
03:28I'm sorry, you're a pilot, so you can't have any crazy health issues or any problems or
03:31anything?
03:32No.
03:33I noticed you wear glasses.
03:34I do.
03:35Okay.
03:36I'm just going to ask you to do it.
03:37Let me just go away from the passenger.
03:38Sure.
03:39Okay.
03:40So all I need you to do is the tip of my pen right here, this little white tip, I'm going
03:45to move it back and forth.
03:46I need you to follow it with your eyes and your eyes open.
03:49Do you understand that?
03:50Yeah.
03:51You don't have any issues doing that for me?
03:52Okay.
03:53So just pay attention to the tip of this pen.
03:55Sure.
04:25All right, so this next exercise, I know it's kind of difficult because I have an incline,
04:47but just on here on this muscle flat surface, and I need you to take a series of heel toe
04:50steps.
04:51I'm going to explain it to you.
04:52What you're going to do is you're going to put your left foot, or your right foot, whichever
04:55is more comfortable.
04:56I'm left-handed, so I'm using my right foot first.
04:57You're going to go heel toe.
04:58I'm going to just take a step to the side really quick.
05:01You're just going to take a series of heel toe steps and count out loud.
05:04One, two, three, four, five.
05:08You're going to do that until you get to ten.
05:10Make sure you count out loud.
05:11Make sure you go heel toe.
05:13Don't lift down, but put your arms out for balance.
05:15Do you have any issues with that?
05:16No problem.
05:17No problem.
05:19You can start right there.
05:22All right, you ready?
05:23Yeah.
05:24You may begin.
05:25One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
05:34All right, if you step down on this little platform.
05:55All right, so this next test is called the one-legged stand.
05:59So what you're going to do is whichever foot you prefer, whichever one you feel like you have a stronger balance with,
06:04you're just going to, with your hands at your side, put your foot out in front of you like this,
06:08and you're going to hold it because you count out loud one, one thousand, two, one thousand, three, one thousand.
06:13Okay, you can stop.
06:14Just do me a favor and just hang out really quick.
06:15Here's a minute back.
06:16I just gotta go talk to him for a minute.
06:17Okay.
06:18Okay.
06:19Okay.
06:20Okay.
06:21Okay.
06:22Okay.
06:23Okay.
06:24Okay.
06:25Okay.
06:26Okay.
06:27Okay.
06:28Okay.
06:29Okay.
06:30Okay.
06:31Okay.
06:32Okay.
06:33Okay.
06:34Okay.
06:35Okay.
06:36Okay.
06:37All right.
06:38Okay.
06:39Okay.
06:40Okay.
06:41Okay.
06:42Yeah, I saw it, yeah, the nice status.
06:50I didn't really see it in the walking turn, but I definitely saw the nice status.
06:55So, at this point, do you want to be able to be DIY safe since it doesn't really look like
07:04that?
07:05Yeah.
07:06Can you come out here so I don't have to squeeze in there?
07:11Yes.
07:12Okay.
07:13You guys want to hold me up on your court?
07:14Just go.
07:15I thought that was going to be a long time.
07:17Except for those internships.
07:18Have you?
07:19I'm going to take the gate and check out me to find that.
07:34Have you been down with the office for a long time?
07:39Hi, sir.
07:40What's up?
07:41My name's Corporal Best.
07:42I'm the supervisor right now at the Airport Police Department.
07:45So, did you guys have had a few things last night?
07:48I'm in my neighborhood.
07:49We had an ugly hang.
07:50So, my problem is that right now, I'm standing up talking to you, and I don't smell anything
07:55coming off your view.
07:57I can smell a very strong odor of alcohol beverage coming off the bin.
08:01That's a huge issue, regardless in general.
08:04Whether we were standing on the side of the road, like the camera is right next to you,
08:07but it's a bigger issue, because there's probably a hundred million.
08:12It doesn't matter if it's got a point, yeah.
08:14But, the issue is, I can detect it.
08:19And so, obviously, I don't know where you guys are based out of where the hub is,
08:23but with the FST that I just put him through, he did exhibit signs of impairment
08:28on top of the other officer as well.
08:30So, I am going to make a phone call.
08:32I'm a supervisor, but there's a very strong possibility, a very strong probability,
08:37that he's going to be taking a shot at the Retention Center for the willful attack
08:42to operate an aircraft being intoxicated.
08:44So, if you need to start making some roll calls, I wish I was going to start doing that
08:47real quick.
08:48And I was like, I'm going to put into the FST, because it's simply strong signs.
08:55So, I've already told him why I stopped making the phone calls, please.
08:57Yeah, I told him the airlines, too.
08:59And it would be, like, DUI, sort of, the willful attack of operating in the aircraft form.
09:05Yeah, because it's a commercial, you can't have any impairment on a commercial aircraft.
09:08Right?
09:09Just like CDLs, you know, they don't have a perceptive, uh, unhauling.
09:13All right, so, do you have any personal belongings on the plane?
09:18I do.
09:19What do you have on there?
09:20Like, just, like, a go bag and, like, a throw and everything?
09:22Yeah.
09:23Okay.
09:24So, my issue is, is I'm trained in standardized field sobriety, and you've exhibited strong
09:29signs, and even after speaking with your first pilot, like, the issue is, would you
09:33agree to a blood draw to test your blood alcohol content?
09:36No.
09:37Okay, well, the issue is, is when you agreed to the field sobriety, you exhibited the symptoms,
09:41and if you're refusing to a blood draw, that's, that's DUI less safe for the willful intention
09:45to operate in commercial aircrafts.
09:47Seriously?
09:48Yes, sir.
09:49How did I fail?
09:50I got everything.
09:51The signs that you exhibited during those three tests, I'm able to articulate based off
09:55those, and the odor coming off of your person, it's very consistent with DUI.
10:02Okay.
10:04All right.
10:05Well.
10:06Yeah.
10:07So, what do you want me to do?
10:10So, what's going to happen is, if you, if you don't agree to a blood draw, it'll be DUI
10:14less safe, but that's the route that we're going to take, unfortunately, okay?
10:18Okay.
10:19And if I did agree to a blood draw, then what?
10:21I mean, that, that's just, it's a good part of the ongoing investigation.
10:24Right.
10:25It is what it is.
10:26Mm-hmm.
10:27So.
10:28But obviously, I can't coach with it.
10:29You have your right, you said no.
10:30Right.
10:31So, based off that alone, and based off the field sobriety that you...
10:33Even if I gave you blood, then nothing would change.
10:35Okay.
10:36Right.
10:37That, that is your willful choice that you were willing to make, but based off the calls
10:40that we received stating that people down in TSA could smell what smelled like alcohol
10:46coming off of your breath, and they're not trained.
10:48I am trained in odor hall, odor and alcohol.
10:51Okay.
10:52That's fine.
10:53I mean, nothing's going to change your mind.
10:55I didn't even talk to TSA today.
10:58I went to KCM.
10:59That, that, that's operated by TSA.
11:01Right.
11:02Okay.
11:03So, alright, I'll get my stuff, but whatever you got to go.
11:08Okay.
11:09Get all the first officer's information.
11:11No, I can't.
11:12Is it sparkling?
11:13No, it's just sparkling water.
11:14He has sparkling water.
11:15He has sparkling water.
11:16No, I wasn't afraid it was going to be sparkling water.
11:17No, we just ran.
11:18It's quite easier to recycle.
11:19So, um, I don't believe that they're going to allow you to keep all of this at the
11:20jail.
11:21So, um, I don't believe that they're going to allow you to keep all of this at the jail.
11:41So, we're just going to log into our evidence here.
11:44So, that way, once you get bailed out, you come back here, there'll be a property sheet
11:49and everything.
11:50So, you'll have to come back out here.
11:51Then, I'll have this custodian.
11:52We'll sign your luggage back out to go.
11:53Okay?
11:54I guess.
11:55How about my wallet?
11:56Uh, you can keep that.
11:57Do you have your phone as well?
11:58Yeah.
11:59Yeah.
12:00They'll let you keep those, unfortunately, just because it's like big luggage and everything.
12:03They don't let people keep that anymore.
12:04So, you're just staring face away from your wallet.
12:06Okay.
12:07Before you sit down.
12:08All right.
12:09Palms up.
12:10The investigation didn't end there.
12:26Southwest Airlines wanted to conduct their own to confirm whether the pilot was too drunk
12:30to fly.
12:31The officer called his lieutenant, who then contacted higher-ups at Southwest so they could
12:35begin their own investigation.
12:37Hi.
12:38I'm here with Officer Best, and they have him currently detained in the back of his car.
12:46I was trying to explain that we are to be released to us, but I just want to make sure
12:50that they hear that that's what's first happened.
12:54Yes.
12:55When we have, normally, when we have reports from TSA as well, we do get involved because
13:04the FAA and the DOT have regulations that we also have to follow.
13:09Yes, ma'am.
13:10So, if he, we have to also conduct an observation because that will determine his employment with
13:19us.
13:20We normally have to have, when there is an incident reported, we have to have a test done
13:26on him as well.
13:28But first, we do need to conduct, you know, an observation to see if there was any sign
13:35or symptom, a true smell of alcohol.
13:37Does he have any kind of other signs, you know, with his eyes?
13:42Yes.
13:43Usually, our leaders are, they are trained to detect these signs and symptoms.
13:46Yes.
13:47And if there are any of those signs and symptoms, then we would then proceed to, um, to have
13:53testing done.
13:54Okay.
13:55Sorry.
13:56Okay, ma'am.
13:57Sorry to interrupt.
13:58My name is Lieutenant Wilder.
13:59So, you said you have an inspector coming.
14:01Okay.
14:02My problem is that when they, when they come like 30 minutes to an hour, and all this stuff
14:07that my officer just got through, that he was a certified DUI, um, person as well.
14:14But at that time, with alcohol and his test, he failed two of them.
14:19So, we don't guarantee that when your spectra get, when your spectra get there.
14:25Yeah.
14:26So, are you, what is your process right now?
14:30As of right now, um, when, when Officer Best did his DUI steps, he failed two out of three.
14:39And he actually, he can smell the alcohol coming from his person.
14:42The pilot was removed from duty as law enforcement and Southwest Airlines launched separate investigations.
14:47Based on what you've seen in the video, do you think the pilot was impaired?
14:51Or were the trained officers not so trained in this situation?
14:54But he is, so familiar with him.
15:03Now you have the microphone.
15:04The pilot device Rinpoche said.
15:05And she also said.
15:06Which one of the animals has been used to be targeted at the police station.
15:09If you have to touch this person, do you think the pilot device?
15:11That device?
15:12And you cannot trust this problem, even the pilot device that it's Croatia.
15:15However, the pilot device has been Walking edit machine.
15:17The pilot device is going to not��요.
15:19He mentioned it.
15:20What's the conduct of reporting?
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