A Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested shortly before takeoff Wednesday in Georgia after showing up to work intoxicated, police said.
David Alsop, a 52-year-old New Hampshire resident, was arrested Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport About 7 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Chatham County Sheriff's Office. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
Allsop was arrested just before Southwest Flight 3772 to Chicago was about to leave Georgia. The plane left just before 11 a.m., about four hours after it was scheduled to take off.
Southwest told Fox News Digital that it is investigating the incident and that Allsop, whose LinkedIn profile indicates he is a pilot, has been “removed from duty.”
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A Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested after showing up to work drunk. (iStock | Chatham County Sheriff's Office)
“We are aware of a situation involving an employee on board Flight 3772 this morning from Savannah,” the airline said. “The employee has been dismissed from his job”
Southwest also noted that the flight's passengers had been accommodated on other flights while Flight 3772 remained on the ground.
A company spokesperson said: “Customers have been accommodated on other flights, and we apologize for the disruption to their travel plans.” “There is nothing more important to Southwest than the safety of our employees and customers.”
Georgia authorities say David Alsop was arrested Wednesday morning. (Chatham County Sheriff's Office)
It is rare, but not uncommon, for a pilot to be arrested or arrested for excessive drinking before a flight. Last May, Japan Airlines The flight was stopped From Dallas to Tokyo after discovering that the pilot Drink excessively The night before.
Although the pilot did not violate internal guidelines against drinking within 12 hours of departure, Japan Airlines canceled the flight in order to “evaluate the captain's physical and mental health.”
A Southwest Airlines airliner landed at Chicago Midway International Airport. (Camille Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
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The authorities are actively investigating the incident.
Fox News Digital's Christina Coulter, David Lewquicht and Chip Bell contributed to this report.
