Armed officers lead pilot off airliner after alcohol tip-off
A PILOT who was five times over the alcohol limit for flying a 299-passenger airliner was hauled from the cockpit by armed police just as the aircraft was preparing for take-off.
A court yesterday heard that Julian Monaghan, 49, was arrested amid dramatic scenes on board the British Airways Boeing 777 at Gatwick Airport.
The 12-hour flight from London to Mauritius in January was minutes from departing when police were called by a flight technician who reported Monaghan’s breath smelled of alcohol.
Airport police dashed on to the plane, arrested Monaghan and led him off in handcuffs before stunned passengers.
Appearing before magistrates in Crawley, he pleaded guilty to being over the limit while reporting for flying duty. Mel Wotton, prosecuting, told the court Monaghan boarded the flight with a fellow pilot and was preparing the plane for take-off when arrested. A breath test found him to have 52mg of alcohol in his breath – the legal limit is 9mg for a pilot. The court heard a blood sample showed 86mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The drink-drive limit is 80mg but the limit for a pilot is 20mg.
Emelyn Jones, defending, said his client had a vodka and coke at 10.30am, in an attempt to help him sleep before the evening flight.
He said Monaghan, a long-serving British Airways first officer, had the drink more than eight hours before the flight but had spent the day without food or sleep.
“He turned up for work appalled, astonished and horrified to find he was over the limit,” said Mr Jones.
Adjourning the case for sentence at crown court next week, Dr David Wiggins, chairman of the bench, warned Monaghan he faced going to prison.
A British Airways spokesman said: “Julian Monaghan no longer works for the airline.”