Southwest Airlines pilot hauled off plane by cops after ‘turning up to work DRUNK’ just before jet was about to take-off
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A COMMERCIAL pilot was hauled from a plane and arrested on suspicion of attempting to fly whilst drunk moments before take-off. Southwest Airlines pilot David Allsop, 52, of New Hampshire, was arrested at the Savannah/Hilton Head airport in Georgia and charged with driving under the influence.
![[Mugshot of a Southwest Airlines pilot arrested for allegedly being intoxicated at work.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/southwest-airlines-pilot-arrested-georgia-964183874.jpg?strip=all&w=442)
Cops boarded the aircraft and entered the cockpit in order to apprehend Allsop and escort him from the plane as passengers looked on. Passengers were delayed for hours when the flight from Savannah to Chicago, Illinois, supposed to take off at 6:05am didn’t get in the air until 11am.
![[Police officer on airplane.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/flight-arrest.png?strip=all&w=960)
The company said: "We're aware of a situation involving an Employee on Flight 3772 this morning from Savannah. "The employee has been removed from duty.". Allsop’s public LinkedIn profile states he has been a pilot for Southwest since 2006, and that before that he spent nine years flying squadrons in the US air force.
![[Southwest Airlines plane taking off.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2024-burbank-california-southwest-airlines-919538820.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
US law prohibits pilots from flying an aircraft with a blood alcohol level above 0.04, which is lower than the 0.08 limit for motor vehicles. Violations of the law could result in a pilot's licence being revoked. It is not clear what led to the suspicion that Allsop was intoxicated when he turned up to work.
![[Southwest Airlines plane at an airport gate.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2jf791n-flight-cancellations-stress-weary-964186049.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Southwest also apologies and said that passengers on the grounded plane were accommodated on other flights. A spokesperson said: "Customers were accommodated on other flights, and we apologize for the disruption to their travel plans. "There's nothing more important to Southwest than the safety of our employees and customers.".
![[Pilot in cockpit wearing headset and sunglasses.]](https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/767-flight-jfk-airport-new-884706720.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
