• Most Popular
  • Most Shared

United Airlines pilot charged with being drunk

LONDON
Wed Nov 11, 2009 12:32pm EST
Ground crew unhook a plane from the tow at O'Hare International airport in Chicago June 4, 2008. REUTERS/Jeff Haynes

Ground crew unhook a plane from the tow at O'Hare International airport in Chicago June 4, 2008.

Credit: Reuters/Jeff Haynes

LONDON (Reuters) - A United Airlines pilot has been charged after being arrested at London's Heathrow Airport on suspicion of being drunk shortly before he was about to fly a transatlantic airliner, police said on Wednesday.

U.S.

Erwin Washington, 51, from Lakewood, Colorado, was charged with "being aviation staff, performing an aviation function whilst exceeding the proscribed alcohol limit," a London police spokesman said.

Washington was arrested on Monday shortly before he was due to fly a Boeing 767 with 124 passengers and 11 crew to Chicago.

United, a unit of UAL Corp, said he had been suspended pending a full investigation.

"United's alcohol policy is among the strictest in the industry, and we have no tolerance for violation of this well-established policy," a spokeswoman said.

Washington is due to appear before magistrates in north London on November 20.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Matthew Jones)
U.S.


More from Reuters

Photo

European governments agree to help Greece: source

BERLIN (Reuters) - European governments have agreed in principle to help heavily indebted Greece, a senior German coalition source said on Tuesday, in what would be the first rescue of a euro zone member in the currency's 11-year history.

» More Top News
A Greek flag at the Bank of Greece is seen near a statue of ancient philosopher Socrates in Athens February 5, 2010. REUTERS/Yiorgos Karahalis

Avoiding "another Greece"

Don't count on the euro zone growing anytime soon. Getting into the single-currency club will be tougher than ever.  Full Article 

Global Markets
An unknown Toyota car covered in preparation for the Chicago Auto Show, February 9, 2010. REUTERS/John Gress
SPECIAL REPORT:

What went wrong at Toyota?

An inside look at the spectacular crisis embroiling one of the world's best-known brands shows a series of unheeded warnings and a stubborn refusal to listen.  Full Article | Video 

Autos