An allegedly drunk pilot was arrested by police in Traverse City, Michigan, after authorities were called to the Cherry Capital Airport Thursday morning.
According to UpNorthLive.com, Traverse City Police charged that the copilot of a charter plane that was scheduled to leave the airport around 8 a.m. blew a 0.30 on a breath test, more than four times the legal limit if he would have been driving.
NBC News stated that the flight was supposed to takeoff for Bedford, Massachusetts, but police were called to the airport at 7:38 a.m.
Talon Air issued a statement, saying that the captain of the flight, Manny Ramirez, recognized the copilot's condition before the flight and removed him from the position.
"This is yet another example of Talon Air's safety procedures working effectively on behalf of our clients and for airport safety," the statement said. "The individual in question has been immediately terminated."
The copilot, who was not identified, was taken to the Munson Medical Center in Traverse City and the flight, with 12 passengers, was grounded.
Fox News reported in April that between 2010 and 2015, Federal Aviation Administration records revealed that 64 pilots were cited for violating alcohol and drug provisions, and in 2015, 1,546 personnel connected with airline safety, including 38 pilots, tested positive for one or more of five illegal drugs.
Lynn Lunsford, the Mid-States public affairs manager for the FAA told Fox News the numbers of those violating the law are low compared to the tests given.
"It is mind-boggling that on average one U.S. pilot a month is caught trying to fly a passenger aircraft while over the legal limit for flying, which at 0.04 percent, is more restrictive than for driving a car in many states, especially given that they know they are subject to screening," Peter Bartos, a retired military pilot, told Fox News. "It also means that others aren't caught, since it is not a mandatory test for all pilots on every flight."
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