It’s a well-known fact too much alcohol can alter a person’s mood, behavior and coordination, not to mention impairing their decision-making abilities. Aviators are not immune to the complications surrounding alcohol as some professional pilots have learned when they were removed from revenue flights after another crewmember or gate agent smelled alcohol on their breath.
NTSB Points to Alcohol-Impaired Pilot as the Cause of Alaska Accident
Key Takeaways:
- A 2019 general aviation accident in Girdwood, Alaska, which killed four people, was directly attributed to the pilot's severe alcohol impairment.
- Toxicological tests revealed the ATP-rated pilot's blood alcohol concentration was 5.5 times the regulatory limit (0.252 gm/dl), leading to profound loss of judgment and coordination.
- Witnesses observed the aircraft performing aggressive and erratic maneuvers before it struck a ridge, with the NTSB concluding the pilot was too intoxicated to realize the danger.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
