A JetBlue pilot has twice exceeded the legal limit for driving with a breathalyzer test after being taken off a plane in Buffalo on Wednesday morning, the Niagara Border Transport Authority confirmed to CBS News in a statement. James Clifton, 52, has been arrested and could face federal charges, the Transportation Service said.
Clifton was passing security at Buffalo Airport when a TSA agent noticed that “he may be harmed,” the statement said. The agent contacted airport police, who pulled him out of the cockpit on the flight to Fort Lauderdale. He then blew 0.17 on a breathalyzer, authorities said, more than twice the driving limit. Pilots are considered incapable of flying if their blood alcohol levels are above .04, according to a brochure from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The man from Orlando, Florida, was detained by airport police, the statement said.
In a statement Wednesday night, the FAA said it was investigating “allegations that an airline pilot tried to report for duty while under the influence of alcohol.”
JetBlue said in a statement that it was aware of the incident and was cooperating with law enforcement, as well as conducting its own internal investigation. JetBlue also said that the person involved was “removed from his duties”.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the legal limit for blood alcohol levels.
Victoria Albert
