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 address the current lack of specific laws against "flying drunk," spurred by a recent incident involving an allegedly intoxicated pilot.
- The proposed Pennsylvania legislation, including a Senate version with stiffer penalties and a lower blood-alcohol limit, aims to criminalize flying an aircraft while intoxicated.
- In an unrelated incident in Australia, an "extremely intoxicated" passenger was arrested for attempting to interfere with a pilot during landing, prompting the airline to tighten security procedures.
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