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Pilot detained for allegedly being drunk at DTW

Pilot detained for allegedly being drunk at DTW
Posted at 11:18 AM, Mar 26, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-26 22:20:49-04

An American Airlines co-pilot was detained this morning under suspicion that he was drunk, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

American Airlines Flight 736 was scheduled to leave Detroit just before 7 a.m. and land around 8:45 a.m. in Philadelphia but it was canceled.

According to DTW, TSA officers notified the airport authority they should check the co-pilot out because of the way he was acting.

There were several tweets talking about the cancelation and it appears the flight was carrying local students to spring break.

 

when your pilot gets drunk, your flight gets cancelled, and you've been up since 2am #sprangbreak

A photo posted by jenna barlage (@jxnnabar) on

The FAA said co-pilot was "detained this morning under suspicion of having a BAC over the legal limit when he arrived for his flight in Detroit."

American Airlines released this statement:

“This is a serious matter and we are assisting local law enforcement and the Federal Aviation Administration with the investigation.  We will handle this matter appropriately as the safety and care of our customers and employees is our highest priority. Flight 736 has cancelled and we are reaccommodating our customers on other flights.  We apologize to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans”

DTW spokesman Michael Conway said the pilot failed a breathalyzer test and taken into custody by the Wayne County Airport Authority before being turned over to Romulus police, where he failed another breathalyzer test. 

We're told the pilot is from Pennsylvania and was born in 1965.