Flying under the influence - Curt Lewis

JetBlue Pilot Arrested for Allegedly Flying Drunk A JetBlue pilot is due in court today, arrested after allegedly flying while under the influence of alcohol. Dennis Murphy had already piloted two flights between Orlando and JFK International Airport in New York when he was selected for random alcohol testing on April 21, 2015, according to a complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York last week. According to the breath alcohol technician, Murphy's "face was red and he was chewing gum rapidly" on the way to the testing office, the complaint said. After allegedly blowing an 0.111 and a 0.091, he asserted the results "must have been caused by the gum." Murphy, who had been hired by JetBlue only three months prior, also questioned why he was being tested so soon after his start date, according to the complaint. His co-pilot later told agents he'd observed Murphy "drinking an unknown beverage from a cup before and during" both flights, which carried a combined 270 passengers. The co-pilot said he'd also noticed Murphy taking a bathroom break, according to the complaint. The maximum penalty, if convicted, is 15 years. JetBlue immediately removed him from flight status, and Murphy later submitted his resignation. "JetBlue has a zero tolerance drug and alcohol policy," the airline said in a statement. "Following last year's incident, the crewmember was removed from duty and is no longer employed at JetBlue." The Air Line Pilots Association International declined to comment on the case, "because, having voluntarily resigned from his airline, the pilot is not a member of ALPA and is not represented by ALPA in this matter." "However, it is important to note that instances of substance abuse are extremely rare among the approximately 100,000 professional airline pilots in the United States who safely fly passengers and cargo on more than 27,000 flights every day. The airline piloting profession in North America is one of the most highly scrutinized careers, and airline pilots' professionalism has contributed to making flying the safest form of transport for passengers and air cargo shippers," the association said in a statement today.

Records show small but still alarming number of pilots fly under the influence The good news: The number of pilots who fly or attempt to fly under the influence of alcohol and drugs, or engage in illegal behavior, is very low, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. The bad news: There are still some pilots who are flying under the influence and engaging in illegal behavior. According to FAA records obtained by Fox News through a Freedom of Information Act request, 64 pilots of U.S. carriers were cited for violating alcohol and drug provisions from 2010 to 2015. And 38 pilots tested positively for illegal drugs in 2015 alone. The legal limit for alcohol for a pilot is 0.04 percent, which is half of the legal limit for automotive drivers. On average, one pilot is caught over the limit per month in the U.S., the data shows. The percentage of airline and airport staff - including pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, ground security and air traffic controllers - that tested at or below the alcohol limit in 2015 was about 0.2 percent, or 119 out of 56,000 tested. That low number should be a comfort, but of course any incidents with commercial jets are alarming. "According to FAA data, there is no leveling off or decrease in this trend, in fact drug use seems to be climbing," retired military pilot Peter Bartos told Fox News. "The general public probably has no idea that this abuse is occurring with such regularity at certain airlines."