A JetBlue pilot was taken off the cockpit after taking a breathalyzer minutes before take-off and blowing four times over the limit after swallowing up to “10 tall people around midnight”.
James Clifton, 52, of Orlando, Florida, hit 0.17 – four times the legal limit for a pilot and twice the normal – before an early morning flight at 6:15 a.m. Wednesday. In addition, pilots and crew members are not allowed to consume alcohol within eight hours of their replacement, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Clifton reportedly told police he drank five or six drinks the night before and did not drink in the morning on the flight, according to ABC 7. He later corrected himself and said he drank up to eight drinks.
An officer reportedly heard Clifton say on the phone that he had “ten 22-ounce tall boys and left the restaurant around midnight.” The actual number of drinks the pilot consumed is unclear.
He was pulled from the cockpit of Buffalo Niagara International Airport before taking off for Fort Lauderdale, a spokesman for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority said.
The pilot was reportedly visibly drunk while passing through security, prompting the TSA to report to airport police, leading to a four-hour flight delay. The flight, scheduled to take off at 6:15 a.m., arrived in Florida at 1:10 p.m., according to Flight Aware.
JetBlue pilot James Clifton, 52, of Orlando, Florida, blew up 0.17 – four times the legal pilot limit and doubled the normal limit – before an early morning flight at 6:15 a.m. departing from Buffalo International Airport. Niagara (pictured) on Wednesday
The flight to Fort Lauderdale was delayed for four hours and the pilot was arrested and said he drank seven to eight drinks, but an employee reportedly overheard him saying on the phone that he had “ten 22-ounce tall boys and left the restaurant around midnight “
Clifton was detained in federal custody and the federal authorities were notified. The pilot has been released from JetBlue security and he believes charges could be brought WKBW.
JetBlue said it was removing the pilot from his duties. The airline told the New York Post: “The safety of customers and crew members of JetBlue is our first priority. We stick to everyone [Department of Transportation] rules and requirements for alcohol at all times and have a very strict internal policy on zero-tolerance alcoholism ‘.
The airline also conducts internal investigations and cooperates with local law enforcement agencies.
The Federal Aviation Administration also said it would investigate, saying: “The FAA is investigating allegations that an airline pilot tried to report for duty while under the influence of alcohol. The Agency takes these issues seriously.
The day before, a drunken man in New York had been beaten seven times at Orlando airport.
In addition, pilots and crew members are not allowed to consume alcohol for eight hours after their shift, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Pilots cannot be over 0.04 BAC
A drunken man from New York, weighing 280 pounds, six feet, got into a fight with police at Orlando International Airport on Thursday, in a collision in which he was hit seven times and still refused to get off.
The dispute culminated in the chaotic crash of 34-year-old Ryan Austin Martin, who police said had fought with his wife and 6-year-old daughter at the airport before the collision and was separated from them. from the security.
Orlando police said the man also attacked an airline employee before being Tased.
Yonkers’ big man Ryan Austin Martin, 34, was arrested Thursday after a curse continued at Orlando International Airport that resulted in taser strikes seven times.
The chaotic incident was recorded entirely by a passer-by.
“Do you want to see a show?” Martin asks a group of people waiting for the footage to fly, many of them with their phones trained on it. “I’m going to do a show, damn it,” he said, taking an aggressive stance as the sirens sounded.
“Who wants to fight? Let’s go!’ – shouts the man in the footage, who is biting his nails, angering the frightened and stiff employees.
According to an affidavit, the incident began when Yonkers, a native of Yonkers, became agitated by his wife and attacked her while waiting for a flight to New Jersey.
An edited report reveals that during the fight, Martin also pushed his six-year-old daughter and tried to pull the neck of someone else in his group and grab someone by the hair.
During that time, he left twice and returned with drinks, according to a report filed by the Orlando Police Department.
“Do not touch me! Let no one touch me! He shouted, daring the officers and the officer in charge to act
Martin was convicted on one charge of child abuse, violence including domestic violence, murder, resisting a police officer with violence and disorderly intoxication. It took four officers to get the hippopotamus man to his feet
The footage shows the militant Martin daring the officers to fight after separating him from his family, after his colleague reported the alleged violence.
“Why am I being arrested?” Martin yells at an employee at the beginning of the video after he was told to walk away from the locked door of the jet bridge separating the man from his family. “For doing nothing.”
“Why am I being arrested?” Martin repeats before beginning a curse-filled tirade.
“Fuck! Damn it!” Shouts the New Yorker, standing in the center of the waiting area at the gate, gradually raising his voice and turning into an aggressive stance. “Damn hole!” he shouts to an invisible servant.
“Do not touch me! Let no one touch me! he then declares while still daring the employees to act.
“Hurry up, baits.” I’m going to do a hell of a show! Marin screamed in full force, taking a fighting stance.
He then admitted: “I had a few drinks before the day’s flight.”
The footage shows Martin repeatedly pounding and slamming the door in vain to knock it down, shouting at employees on the other side.
Eventually, a police officer from Orlando arrived at the scene.
Crouching in anticipation of the confrontation, Martin said to the policeman, “What the hell are you stupid? Get the hell out of here! Get the hell out of here! ‘
If you’re damn smart, go to hell.
Martin then turns back to the door and knocks on it repeatedly before someone on the other side seemingly unlocks it and lets him in.
Martin enters the other room for about a minute, during which time two officers try to follow him into the room, which again upsets the man.
“Damn,” he says, and orders the staff out of the room. – I do not want to hurt you.
Martin’s family is then escorted out of the room, where Martin is trying to follow them.
The officer then sneaks up behind Martin with a taser and pulls the trigger.
“Oh!” You can hear Martin say in the recording, which lasts about eight minutes, reacting to 50,000 volts passing through his veins.
Still hitting him, the officer ordered Martin, motionless, to rise to the ground.
“Get on the ground!” Get on the ground! the policeman yells at the man, who looks only slightly uncomfortable with the tension.
The officer then sends another charge to Martin after the first impulse rises, which then approaches the officer in charge, issuing a third blast.
Seemingly unaffected by the electric shock, Martin then turned to the policeman, urging the cop to strike a full blow to the back of Martin’s neck to finally take him down.
While the taser continues to work, the officer tries to detain Martin, who is still resisting, by ordering him to assist.
“Put your hands behind your back,” the officer said as he handcuffed Martin, hitting him repeatedly, five, six and finally seven times, as an out-of-Jersey sheriff who happened to be at the gate assisted in his arrest.
At that moment, more police officers arrived at the scene and successfully detained Martin.
“Listen, man,” Martin is heard begging the police while on the ground. “I just drank too much.”
It then takes four officers to lift the hippopotamus man to his feet.
Martin was then convicted on one count of child abuse, violence including domestic violence, murder, resisting a police officer with violence and disorderly intoxication.
He was taken to Orange County Jail and released on bail Friday night for $ 2,950, police said.