Pilot found guilty of ‘drink flying’
A pilot who flew a passenger jet from Spain while over the legal alcohol limit following a three-day binge drinking session has been sentenced to nine months in prison.
A pilot found guilty of “drunk flying” has been jailed for nine monthsIan Jennings, 47, from Gosport in Hampshire, UK, was arrested at Norwich Airport on 30 October after landing a commercial chartered plane.
On board, passengers included millionaire scrap metal businessman Andre Serruy, a woman and three teenage girls.
According to reports by the BBC, a passenger became suspicious that Jennings had been drinking and reported him to police, but he claimed he had only had three points of lager the night before.
The pilot was breathalysed at Norwich Airport and found to have 31mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, when the limit for pilots is 9mg compared to 35mg for motorists.
Delivering the sentence, Judge Holt said: “Some eight of nine hours earlier you must have been considerably higher than the level detected.
“You must have been drinking considerably the night before you went to the airport.
“The public must have 100% confidence that pilots in this country are 100% sober.
“The devastation you could have wreaked, not only to passengers but also on the ground, goes without saying.
“It is my duty to send a clear message that any pilot who commits this kind of offence must expect an immediate custodial sentence.”
Jennings’ barrister accepted he may have been “topping up” after days of heavy drinking to celebrate his engagement.
Jennings, who boasts 10 years of experience as a pilot, had his licence suspended by the Civil Aviation Authority.
