The Sun, one of London's tabloid newspapers, offers this account: "The pilot of a passenger jet was dramatically arrested shortly before take-off at Heathrow Airport after cops were told he had been drinking by the chief steward. The crew member had a massive row with the United Airlines captain as he prepared his Boeing 777 for a flight from London to Chicago. The plane's doors were re-opened and cops boarded Flight 949 in front of stunned passengers. Officers breathalysed the American pilot and arrested him after his reading was over the alcohol limit."
The Daily Mail of London writes "a member of the cabin crew who reported him to police said (the pilot) had allegedly barricaded himself in the cockpit for over an hour before police convinced him to come out." A Heathrow spokesman tells the Daily Mail that the pilot "was reported to police by United Airlines staff. I believe departure was imminent."
The Denver Post writes the accused pilot – 51-year-old Erwin Vermont Washington – "was released on bail but will have to return to London for his first court appearance Nov. 20. He faces up to two years in prison and fines if convicted." The Post adds "pilots are prohibited from flying in Great Britain if their blood-alcohol content is above 0.02%, or the equivalent of having about half a glass of regular beer." The Post adds Washington is an Air Force veteran.
FOX Chicago tries to add perspective, saying "Monday's incident echoes the arrest in May of an American Airlines pilot — also at Heathrow and also scheduled to fly a plane to Chicago — after he failed a breath test. In October 2008, another United Airlines pilot was arrested by police for being over the alcohol limit. Union leaders say pilots are under increased scrutiny by security agents and passengers because of high-profile cases involving drunk pilots."
The Chicago Tribune picks up on the broader theme of recent safety incidents. The Tribune says Washington's "arrest is the latest in a recent spate of pilot mishaps that has some aviation observers questioning whether the physical stresses of flying, combined with personal financial pressures, are beginning to take a toll on the profession." The paper talks to one United pilot, who asked not to identified; He said he thinks the recent incidents show an "industry that is running on the ragged edge. ... It's a completely different life than people think."
UPDATE (Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 7:34 a.m. ET): The latest update to this story comes this morning, with The Associated Press reporting that the "United Airlines pilot who failed a breathalyzer test shortly before he was due to take off has been charged with having too much alcohol in his system, British police said. Erwin Vermont Washington, 51, is the third U.S. pilot in 13 months to be arrested for being over the strict alcohol limits imposed on airline staff. Washington was arrested after officers were called to United Airlines Flight 949, which was already full of passengers and due to leave London's Heathrow Airport just after noon on Monday." Reuters says United has suspended the pilot.
RELATED LINK: Spate of airline pilot mishaps triggers concerns (Chicago Tribune)
UPDATE (Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 6:26 p.m. ET):The Associated Press updates the story, saying the United pilot "was pulled from a plane and arrested shortly before takeoff after a co-worker suspected him of being drunk, police and air officials said Tuesday." The BBC adds"the plane's departure to Chicago (from London) was 'imminent,' with 124 passengers and 11 crew members on board, when the arrest took place, a Heathrow spokesman said."
AP says that a "Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed that the pilot had been given a breathalyzer test and that results were expected shortly. He said the man, whom he did not identify, has been released on bail. He added that he did not know exactly under what circumstances the pilot was arrested."
Bloomberg News notes "the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration bars pilots from consuming alcohol within eight hours of a flight, or flying with a blood-alcohol level of 0.04 percent or more. United's policy is 'more strict,' (United spokeswoman Megan) McCarthy said, without giving details."
ORIGINAL POST (Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 2:40 p.m. ET): In news just breaking in the media today, The Independent newspaper of London writes that a United Airlines pilot was arrested yesterday prior to a trans-Atlantic flight and charged on "suspicion of exceeding the prescribed alcohol limit."
The Independent writes that "after an hour of sitting on the runway, more than 100 United Airlines passengers were told to disembark yesterday because the pilot was 'sick' – only later to find he had been arrested." The paper says it got confirmation from the Metropolitan Police that the pilot of the Boeing 767 was arrested yesterday on the charges.
Chicago media website chicagobreakingnews.com writes "the pilot was arrested … after he failed a breathalyzer test. He was released on bond, according to British media. United did not identify the pilot but said he has been 'removed from service.' "The website says United deferred questions to British authorities, but – in a statement – the airline told chicagobreakingnews.com: "United's alcohol police is among the strictest in the industry and we have no tolerance for violation of this well-established policy."
CBS 2of Chicago adds "this is the second time in the past six months that an airline pilot set to fly from London to Chicago has gotten arrested for being drunk. In May, an American Airlines pilot set to fly out of Heathrow was arrested after failing a breathalyzer test."
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