A Southwest Airlines pilot was removed from the cockpit ahead of a Wednesday flight from Georgia to Chicago and was booked on a charge of driving under the influence, a source familiar with the incident told CBS News.
The pilot was later charged with driving under the influence, records from the local sheriff's office show.
The U.S. Department of Transportation sued Southwest Airlines Wednesday, alleging it illegally operates flights that are persistently delayed, harming passengers and fair competition in the airline industry.
A Southwest Airlines flight was delayed multiple hours this week after a pilot was reportedly arrested and charged with DUI before takeoff in Georgia.
The pilot allegedly smelled of alcohol and was removed by airport police before he flew Southwest Flight 3772 to Chicago from Savannah, Georgia, a source told CBS News. Photos shared online show cops removing him from the cockpit of the plane. Further details of what led to his arrest have not been released.
A pilot on a Southwest Airlines flight was walked off the flight by police officers and arrested for allegedly showing up for the flight intoxicated. David Paul Allsop, 52, was arrested by airport police in Savannah just before he was supposed to pilot a Southwest flight from Savannah/Hilton Head Airport in Georgia to Chicago-Midway on Wednesday morning.
The Transportation Department said in a lawsuit that two of the airline’s routes were consistently delayed in violation of federal rules.
The pilot, David Allsop, 52, was arrested at Savannah Hilton Head Airport Wednesday morning and has been removed from duty. The flight was delayed about five hours.
David Allsop, 52, is charged with driving under the influence, according to Chatham County Sheriff's office jail records.
Southwest Airlines confirmed the pilot had been removed from duty and apologized to customers whose travel plans were disrupted.
The DOT filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines, citing a pattern of chronic delays, as the government pushes for stricter accountability.