2003-10 · NASA ASRS report 596893
AN ACR FO DEALS WITH A CAPT WHO APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN DRINKING WHEN HE ARRIVED AT WORK.
I WAS THE FO ON A FLT FROM STL. IT WAS APPROX 20 MINS PRIOR TO DEP WHEN THE CAPT WALKED ONTO THE ACFT; PUT THE PAPERWORK DOWN; SAID 'HI;' TURNED AND WENT TO SPEAK TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS. I WAS BUSY WITH THE FINAL SETUP FOR THE DEP. HE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. I NOTICED HE LOOKED UNKEMPT. HE SAT DOWN; LOADED THE FLT PLAN IN THE FMS AND CALLED FOR THE CHKLIST. ONCE THE CHKLIST WAS COMPLETE; THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ME TO THE BACK. SHE TOLD ME SHE THOUGHT HE SMELLED LIKE ALCOHOL. I TOLD HER I WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. I SHUT THE DOOR AND CONFRONTED HIM BY ASKING HIM IF HE HAD BEEN DRINKING. HE SAID HE HAD NOT. I ASKED HIM AGAIN; AND HE SAID HE HADN'T AND THAT HE DID NOT DRINK. IT WAS THEN THAT I NOTICED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE SMELL OF ALCOHOL AS WELL. HE SAID IT WAS A NEW COLOGNE HE WAS WEARING AND THAT HE SMOKED. HE THEN RELEASED THE BRAKES AND BEGAN THE PUSH. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT IMMEDIATELY CALLED AND ASKED TO COME UP; HAVING HEARD OUR CONVERSATION THROUGH THE DOOR. SHE TOLD ME HE; THE CAPT; HAD TOLD HER A DIFFERENT STORY. THEY BEGAN TO CONVERSE FOR A MIN. I SAID 'THE FLT ATTENDANTS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE; AND SO AM I' AND THAT HE SHOULD DEPART THE ACFT AND GET TESTED. HE GRACIOUSLY COMPLIED. WE PULLED BACK TO THE GATE; AND HE LEFT TO GO TALK TO THE CHIEF PLT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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