Pilot sentenced to 6 months for flying drunk:
11-07-2011, 04:45 AM
#22
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2007
Position: Legacy FO
Posts: 4,105
The rest of the story ...
Cope was convicted in June of flying under the influence on a flight from Austin, Texas, to Denver on Dec. 8, 2009. Flight 7687 was operated by Shuttle America for United Express.
The plane's captain, Robert Obodzinski, testified during the trial that although Cope appeared to be thinking and speaking clearly, periodically during the flight he detected an unusual odor, which he eventually concluded was the smell of alcohol. When he arrived at Denver International Airport Obodzinski contacted dispatch to delay the next scheduled leg of the flight until the issue was resolved.
While Cope went outside to conduct a post-flight inspection, Obodzinski called the acting chief pilot of the airline, his union representative, and a Human Resources Manager for Republic Airways, the parent company of Shuttle America.
Once Cope returned to the cockpit, Obodzinski reportedly told him, “If you have any problem taking a breathalyzer, call off sick and get out of here,” to which Cope replied, “Well, I guess I better call off sick then.”
However, Obodzinski was directed by his company to escort Cope to an alcohol testing facility in DIA’s main terminal.
At the testing facility, Cope stated that he had gone to a bar with a friend and also purchased beer from a gas station near the hotel, according to testimony presented at the trial.
Cope was convicted in June of flying under the influence on a flight from Austin, Texas, to Denver on Dec. 8, 2009. Flight 7687 was operated by Shuttle America for United Express.
The plane's captain, Robert Obodzinski, testified during the trial that although Cope appeared to be thinking and speaking clearly, periodically during the flight he detected an unusual odor, which he eventually concluded was the smell of alcohol. When he arrived at Denver International Airport Obodzinski contacted dispatch to delay the next scheduled leg of the flight until the issue was resolved.
While Cope went outside to conduct a post-flight inspection, Obodzinski called the acting chief pilot of the airline, his union representative, and a Human Resources Manager for Republic Airways, the parent company of Shuttle America.
Once Cope returned to the cockpit, Obodzinski reportedly told him, “If you have any problem taking a breathalyzer, call off sick and get out of here,” to which Cope replied, “Well, I guess I better call off sick then.”
However, Obodzinski was directed by his company to escort Cope to an alcohol testing facility in DIA’s main terminal.
At the testing facility, Cope stated that he had gone to a bar with a friend and also purchased beer from a gas station near the hotel, according to testimony presented at the trial.
11-07-2011, 07:39 AM
#25
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Student Pilot
Posts: 2,277
Yeah...I agree. My heart goes out to this guy.
On the other hand, I would wanna ask him, "what in the sam hill were you thinking about"? Couldn't you have used better judgement?
I dunno.....me, in particular, just hate seeing things like this happen. Hope he amend his ways.
atp
On the other hand, I would wanna ask him, "what in the sam hill were you thinking about"? Couldn't you have used better judgement?
I dunno.....me, in particular, just hate seeing things like this happen. Hope he amend his ways.
atp
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