Another drunk pilot busted

gkainz

gkainz

Final Approach
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Feb 23, 2005
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Arvada, CO
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Display name:
Greg Kainz
heard this through a LEO friend that recently tower at a local airport thought a pilot "didn't sound right" on the radio and called the cops ... he blew a 0.12-something ... more than 2x driving legal limits. I haven't heard how or what they charged him with ... makes me think - local law enforcement (county sheriff) probably doesn't have the ability to charge someone with operating an aircraft under the influence, but does have legal jurisdiction over this airport for ... hmmm, for what? They're the first responders, but where/what is the separation between general and aviation law?

And pondering my recent radio work after >2 year layoff, I told myself "I sound like that guy might have sounded!" and better get my head and mouth back up to speed again!
 
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gkainz said:
... makes me think - local law enforcement (county sheriff) probably doesn't have the ability to charge someone with operating an aircraft under the influence, but does have legal jurisdiction over this airport for ... hmmm, for what? They're the first responders, but where/what is the separation between general and aviation law?...
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I believe that I have heard of people being charged under state law for that.
 
Caramon13 said:
Bet he didn't fly it as good as this guy :
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:) probably not! ... according to what I was told, he didn't fly ... they somehow side tracked him and shut him down while LEO responded.
 
gkainz said:
:) probably not! ... according to what I was told, he didn't fly ... they somehow side tracked him and shut him down while LEO responded.
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Ah, well that's good then! I can't even imagine trying to fly drunk...
 
Saw the local police arrest a guy for a DUI on a jet ski... maybe there is something in the law
 
Ventucky Red said:
Saw the local police arrest a guy for a DUI on a jet ski... maybe there is something in the law
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I have also heard that people can be arrested for riding a bicycle under the influence, and I assume for walking also (public drunkenness).
 
I can not fathom attempting to fly drunk. Just, no way. I seriously would not even consider flying if I had drank anything that day. People do crazy stuff...
 
Anthony said:
I have also heard that people can be arrested for riding a bicycle under the influence, and I assume for walking also (public drunkenness).
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I don't think so, the statute says "motor vehicle."
 
Nearly all states have an "operating an aircraft while intoxicated" law. And btw, operating includes taxi and sitting still with the engine running on the ground.
 
jbrinker said:
I seriously would not even consider flying if I had drank anything that day.
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Yeah for real. If I'm flying the next day I won't drink the day before. Don't drink much as it is, but if I'm flying and worst case scenario have an accident I want that BAC to be nil!
 
gkainz said:
heard this through a LEO friend that recently tower at a local airport thought a pilot "didn't sound right" on the radio and called the cops ... he blew a 0.2-something ... more than 2x driving legal limits. I haven't heard how or what they charged him with ... makes me think - local law enforcement (county sheriff) probably doesn't have the ability to charge someone with operating an aircraft under the influence, but does have legal jurisdiction over this airport for ... hmmm, for what? They're the first responders, but where/what is the separation between general and aviation law?

And pondering my recent radio work after >2 year layoff, I told myself "I sound like that guy might have sounded!" and better get my head and mouth back up to speed again!
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Greg,

I believe under most state laws an airplane would qualify as a motor vehicle thus giving the cops the right to arrest the operator for that. I've seen newspaper articles in which someone was arrested for driving their riding mower to the liquor store while under the influence. and it stood up in court.
 
I remember some wanna be cowboys in Texas were arrested for riding their horses while drunk. Riding into a restaurant did not help things either.
 
Reminds me of this. Don't worry, cops got this drunk skyjacker!


 
Zeldman said:
I remember some wanna be cowboys in Texas were arrested for riding their horses while drunk. Riding into a restaurant did not help things either.
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The horses probably knew where they were going better than their riders did. My dad was a 1902 model who was in the cavalry when they were still "mounted". He told me stories of one horse who would steal and drink a beer if someone left it unattended. Must have been a smart horse.
 
Norman said:
The horses probably knew where they were going better than their riders did. My dad was a 1902 model who was in the cavalry when they were still "mounted". He told me stories of one horse who would steal and drink a beer if someone left it unattended. Must have been a smart horse.
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Did it prefer lagers or pilsners?
 
"Another"?

Don't think it's nearly common enough to preface it with "another".
 
Attended an FAA presentation on BasicMed last night. The FAA presenter said a high number of autopsied post crash pilots are found to have illegal drugs in their bodies. If guys keep this up the FAA will be requiring pee tests before each flight soon.
 
gkainz said:
heard this through a LEO friend that recently tower at a local airport thought a pilot "didn't sound right" on the radio and called the cops ... he blew a 0.2-something ... more than 2x driving legal limits. I haven't heard how or what they charged him with ... makes me think - local law enforcement (county sheriff) probably doesn't have the ability to charge someone with operating an aircraft under the influence, but does have legal jurisdiction over this airport for ... hmmm, for what? They're the first responders, but where/what is the separation between general and aviation law?

And pondering my recent radio work after >2 year layoff, I told myself "I sound like that guy might have sounded!" and better get my head and mouth back up to speed again!
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Assuming that the local tower was in Colorado where your profile indicates that you are, here is the state statute that the county sheriff could charge him under.
http://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-41-aeronautics-aircraft-and-airports/co-rev-st-sect-41-2-102.html
 
retpd2001 said:
I don't think so, the statute says "motor vehicle."
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Most states have an aviation section which makes flying under alcohol drugs illegal. If that doesn't work, there is inducing panic and public intox.
 
In Colorado, you can get a BUI - Biking Under the Influence. (Seems unlikely to get pulled over, but far preferable to a Motor Vehicle DUI or killing a family.) I suspect it's one of those charges you get added when you've really screwed up and they are throwing the whole book at you.
 
Zeldman said:
I remember some wanna be cowboys in Texas were arrested for riding their horses while drunk. Riding into a restaurant did not help things either.
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Norman said:
The horses probably knew where they were going better than their riders did. My dad was a 1902 model who was in the cavalry when they were still "mounted". He told me stories of one horse who would steal and drink a beer if someone left it unattended. Must have been a smart horse.
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Whiskey for my men, and beer for my horses...
 
Tantalum said:
Yeah for real. If I'm flying the next day I won't drink the day before. Don't drink much as it is, but if I'm flying and worst case scenario have an accident I want that BAC to be nil!
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The day before? Wow that hard core! I certainly don't have a dependence on alcohol or even aim for a "buzz" but I enjoy a cold one with a meal or on various occasions. I find the "8 hours from bottle to throttle" to be more than enough. Common sense must prevail though. Flying 6 hours after a single bud light is likely safer than flying 10 hours after getting hammered at a frat party.
 
arkvet said:
The day before? Wow that hard core! I certainly don't have a dependence on alcohol or even aim for a "buzz" but I enjoy a cold one with a meal or on various occasions. I find the "8 hours from bottle to throttle" to be more than enough. Common sense must prevail though. Flying 6 hours after a single bud light is likely safer than flying 10 hours after getting hammered at a frat party.
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I believe the reg includes the phrase: free from the effects of alcohol. That covers the hangover thing. Sportys does cover it in their pp training video with Dick saying to maybe wait an extra day after a party.
 
Clark1961 said:
free from the effects of alcohol
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and that's basically what I meant @arkvet

If I'm flying the following afternoon then a beer or glass of wine with food the day before is fine. But, if we're going to a party I'll sit tight with coke, etc. or if I'm flying early the next morning then maybe I won't have that ice cold IPA with dinner, or skip the Moscow Mule
 
Clark1961 said:
I believe the reg includes the phrase: free from the effects of alcohol.
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What if one of the effects was knocking up a flight attendant? Do I need to wait 18 years for the kid to get the **** out of the house?
 
kayoh190 said:
What if one of the effects was knocking up a flight attendant? Do I need to wait 18 years for the kid to get the **** out of the house?
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That would be a product, not an effect.
 
Caramon13 said:
Bet he didn't fly it as good as this guy :
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I was working crowd control at Oshkosh near show center when Kyle came over and explained the act, he was going to stand in the crowd just to the right of show center and then start towards the plane. He told us we could chase after him a bit (but not catch him), so we did.
 
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