Erwin Washington, drunk, black pilot

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Erwin Washington

Alleged Drunk Pilot Misses Court Appearance

United Airlines Pilot Erwin Washington Removed From Cockpit In London For Allegedly Being Intoxicated

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DENVER (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge: Suspended United Airlines pilot Erwin Washington. (File)
CBS

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KCNC-TV Local Coverage

A United Airlines pilot from Colorado accused of being drunk in the cockpit before a flight was to take off from London didn't attend a court his court hearing in England on Friday.

Erwin Washington, 51, was about to take off from London to Chicago on a Boeing 767 on Nov. 9 when he was arrested.

His first appearance hearing took place in London and he now faces a charge of "being aviation staff, performing an aviation function whilst exceeding the proscribed alcohol limit."

The court ruled Washington will have to attend his next hearing, reports CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver.

"He'll be back in January," his attorney Chris Humphreys said on Friday. "He's receiving medical treatment and will be back in this court in January and then they'll deal with him then."

Humphreys said Washington is back in the United States but he wouldn't say exactly where.

United has suspended Washington.

"A blood test performed shortly after the breath test also showed that
Washington had 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood. The
limit for pilots is 20 milligrams. the legal limit for driving a car is
80 milligrams."

This pilot was "Afro-American" pilot......

This guy was just a little too drunk not to be investigated?

A drunken pilot - is just as dangerous as an idiot high on "suicide
drugs and explosives in shorts"

And don't you love the "being above alcohol limit" - what about border
line cases?

Pilots hanging around the bars in this day and age - might bet more than
than for which they bargained.....

Dark Star XXII

Pilot pleads guilty to being above alcohol limit
The Associated Press
9:05 AM EST January 5, 2010

United Airlines pilot Erwin Washington arrives at Uxbridge Magistrates
court on Tuesday.
© AP

A United Airlines pilot who was pulled from his trans-Atlantic flight to
Chicago shortly before takeoff pleaded guilty Tuesday to being above the
alcohol limit for flying a plane.

Erwin Vermont Washington, of Lakewood, Colo., was removed from United
Airlines Flight 949, which was scheduled to fly from London's Heathrow
Airport to Chicago in November, after a co-worker suspected him of being
drunk.

Prosecutor Kevin Christie said two policemen spoke to Washington about
the concerns and performed a breath test especially designed for
aviation staff, which he failed.

He recorded a reading of 31 micrograms of alcohol per 100 milliliters of
breath. The legal limit is nine micrograms.

The flight was canceled and the plane's 124 passengers were put on other
flights.

A blood test performed shortly after the breath test also showed that
Washington had 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood. The
limit for pilots is 20 milligrams. the legal limit for driving a car is
80 milligrams.

Sentencing on Feb. 5

The 51-year-old pilot pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates Court near
London and was released on unconditional bail.

He will be sentenced Feb. 5.

United Airlines said in a statement that the pilot has been removed from
service duty during legal proceedings and the company's own
investigation.

Washington's lawyer, Chris Humphreys, said the pilot was remorseful.

Referring to similar cases, Humphreys said an American Airlines pilot
who recorded a reading of 39 milligrams of alcohol was given a fine last
July, Another pilot who had 60 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters
of blood was given a suspended sentence.

Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said the maximum sentence for
aviation staff being over the legal limit for flying is two years in
jail and a fine.