An American pilot was caught with alcohol in his system before flying a Boeing 767 from Edinburgh to New York, a court heard yesterday.
Lawrence Russell Jr, 63, was remanded in custody after pleading guilty to reporting for duty at Edinburgh Airport while impaired by drink or drugs.
The Delta Airlines captain was found to have two bottles of Jägermeister in his bag – one of which was ‘half full’ – when it was searched by security staff in June last year.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that police had been contacted and Russell Jr. was arrested at 9:30 a.m. after failing a breath test. He was taken to a local police station where his blood alcohol level was found to be more than twice the legal limit, the court heard.
Prosecutor Matthew Millar told the court the pilot was scheduled to lead a Boeing 767 flight into New York’s JFK Airport when his luggage was selected for a security inspection around 8 a.m. on June 16.
Lawrence Russell Jr, 63, was taken into custody after pleading guilty to reporting for duty at Edinburgh Airport while impaired by drink or drugs
Prosecutor Matthew Millar told the court the pilot was said to be captain of a Boeing 767 flight in New York when his luggage was inspected (stock image)
Mr Millar said airport security staff “noticed that Mr Russell was wearing a pilot’s uniform, a lanyard around his neck and a Delta Airline crew pass.”
The pilot, from Georgia in the US, was ‘identified as the owner of the bag’ and a search of the luggage revealed the bottles of Jägermeister.
The court was told that one of the bottles of alcohol contained in the bag had been opened and was ‘half full’. Mr Millar said: ‘As Mr Russell was wearing a pilot’s uniform, police were contacted.
“Mr. Russell identified himself to the officers and said he was the captain of the plane.”
The pilot provided police with a breath sample at around 9.30am and he was subsequently arrested and taken to Livingston Police Station where he provided a blood sample. The court heard that the alcohol content in the pilot’s blood sample was ‘not less than 49 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood’.
The legal limit is 20 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood.
The tax deputy told the court that when Russell Jr. was warned and charged, he told officers, “I’m terrified.”
Defense lawyer Pamela Rogers, who defended the case, presented the court with a medical report of the treatment Russell Jr. received for his alcoholism and said he was under “no illusions” about the seriousness of the crime.
Russell was due to lead a flight from Edinburgh Airport (pictured) to New York’s JFK Airport at around 8am on June 16 when his luggage was selected for a security inspection, the court heard.
Sheriff Alison Stirling has Russell Jr. remanded in custody and sentence for preparing reports postponed until later this month.
Russell Jr. pleaded guilty to performing an aviation function at a time when his ability to perform the function was limited due to drink or drugs and he reported as a pilot and captain of a Boeing 767 where the alcohol content was not less than 49 mg . in 100ml of blood at Edinburgh Airport on June 16 last year.
Following the pilot’s arrest, the flight from Edinburgh to New York was canceled and Delta Airlines confirmed that passengers were being assisted with their travel plans.
Delta Airlines has been contacted for comment.
