In frustration that an allegedly intoxicated pilot who was caught flying in Pennsylvania last January couldn’t be charged with flying drunk under current laws, the state legislature seems determined to come up with a remedy. The House has already introduced a bill to make drunk flying illegal, and now the Senate is working on another version that has stiffer penalties and sets a lower blood-alcohol limit. “It’s one of the things that’s been overlooked for years,” State Sen. Mike Stack, sponsor of the bill, said in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Meanwhile, in Australia, the (sober) pilot of a Cessna 404 carrying six passengers was on approach to land when a (drunken) passenger tried to move into the co-pilot’s seat. The pilot pushed him back, and the man was arrested after landing. Police said they found bottles of rum and bags of marijuana in the man’s luggage, and described him as “extremely intoxicated.” The airline said it will tighten its security procedures.
Why Drinking And Flying Musn’t Mix
Key Takeaways:
- Pennsylvania lawmakers are introducing bills to criminalize flying while intoxicated, following an incident where an allegedly drunk pilot could not be charged under current laws.
- The proposed legislation, including a Senate version, aims to set a lower blood-alcohol limit for pilots and impose stiffer penalties for intoxicated flying.
- In Australia, an "extremely intoxicated" passenger was arrested for attempting to enter the cockpit during landing, prompting the airline to tighten security procedures.
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