CAPT REMOVES CABIN ATTENDANT FROM FLT DUE TO SUSPICION OF ALCOHOL USE.

Date: 1994-05 · Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing · Phase: ground

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

CAPT REMOVES CABIN ATTENDANT FROM FLT DUE TO SUSPICION OF ALCOHOL USE.

Narrative

DURING PREFLT; I WAS DOING WALK AROUND. CAPT APCHS ME AND ASKS ME TO SMELL 1ST FLT ATTENDANT'S BREATH FOR ALCOHOL. I DO THIS; AND SMELL MOUTHWASH; AND RPTED THAT I COULD NOT SMELL ALCOHOL. FLT ATTENDANT APPEARED TO ACT NORMALLY; NO OTHER SIGNS OF ALCOHOL USAGE. CAPT DIRECTLY CONFRONTS FLT ATTENDANT; SHE DENIES ALCOHOL USAGE. ENRTE; FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP TO FEED US BREAKFAST. CAPT SMELLS ALCOHOL AGAIN. I REMEMBER THAT A WK PREVIOUS; A DIFFERENT CAPT HAD MADE MENTION OF THE SAME THING ABOUT THIS SAME FLT ATTENDANT. I TELL THIS TO THE CAPT. HE SUMMONS ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT TO THE COCKPIT TO QUERY HER. SHE SAYS SHE SMELLS SOMETHING; BUT ATTRIBUTES THIS TO A MEDICAL CONDITION. CAPT NOW CALLS FLT ATTENDANT TO FLT DECK; TELLS HER HE WANTS HER OFF THE TRIP. EITHER TO CALL IN SICK; OR HE'LL HAVE HER REMOVED. UPON ARR; FLT ATTENDANT DEPARTS FOR HOSPITAL. NO FURTHER OUTCOME KNOWN AT THIS TIME. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE MORE GUIDANCE AS TO HOW TO HANDLE SITS SUCH AS THESE. THIS WAS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SIT FOR ALL INVOLVED. WHILE CERTAINLY NO ONE WANTS TO JEOPARDIZE SAFETY OF FLT; NEITHER DO WE WANT TO PANIC OR BE OVERLY PARANOID CONCERNING REPERCUSSIONS INVOLVING AFOREMENTIONED INCIDENTS.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.