A Southwest Airlines pilot was removed from the cockpit and arrested on suspicion of being drunk just before a flight was set to depart from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia. The pilot, David Paul Allsop, 52, of Bedford, New Hampshire, was arrested by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office and charged with driving under the influence.
According to the police report, Allsop was identified by an officer as being in the cockpit performing pre-flight checks when he was asked to step onto the jet bridge. The officer detected a strong odor of alcohol and noted that Allsop had bloodshot, watery eyes and a flushed complexion. Allsop failed a field sobriety test and declined a state-mandated blood test.
Allsop has been a captain with Southwest Airlines for 18 years and was based at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland. He has been with the company for 18 years.
The flight, Southwest Flight 3772, was scheduled to depart from Savannah to Chicago’s Midway Airport but was delayed by nearly five hours. Passengers were on board when police boarded the plane and removed the pilot, leaving many feeling unsettled.
Southwest Airlines has since removed Allsop from duty and apologized for the disruption to the flight. The airline emphasized its commitment to employee and customer safety. Allsop’s bail was set at $3,500 and he has since bonded out of jail. An arraignment hearing will be scheduled in the future.
