Drunk pilot was 10 times the limit

A JAPANESE pilot has admitted being nearly ten times the alcohol limit shortly before a flight from Heathrow.

First officer Katsutoshi Jitsukawa, 42, was arrested at the UK’s busiest airport after failing a breath test only 50 minutes before Japan Airlines flight JL44 to Tokyo was due to take off.

The driver of a crew bus at the airport alerted police after smelling alcohol on the co-pilot’s breath.

Jitsukawa admitted drinking about two bottles of wine and a pitcher of beer the previous night, according to NHK – Japan’s equivalent of the BBC.

The Boeing 777 he was due to fly holds up to 244 passengers. The flight departed 69 minutes late.

At Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Jitsukawa pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol limit.

Tests revealed he had 189mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in his system – almost ten times the 20mg limit for a pilot. The drink-drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 80mg. In Scotland it is 50mg.

Jitsukawa was remanded into custody and will be sentenced on November 29.

Japan Airlines apologised and pledged to ‘implement immediate actions to prevent any future occurrence’, adding that ‘safety remains our utmost priority’.

The airline said: ‘The company does not condone the individual’s actions. The company would like to sincerely apologise for this issue.’

On Wednesday, another Japanese airline, All Nippon Airways, apologised for delaying five flights after a pilot became unwell due to heavy drinking the night before.