A pilot who turned up so drunk at Heathrow that he didn’t know where he was supposed to fly his transatlantic passenger plane has been jailed for six months.
George La Perle was stopped by security officers because he was reeking of alcohol, Isleworth Crown Court was told.
He told them he had just had a few beers the previous evening and that he was scheduled to fly to New York. His destination was in fact Detroit.
The 49-year-old was found to have four and a half times the legal amount of alcohol for pilots in his blood. He also exceeded the less strict limits for driving a car.
First Officer Le Perle, of Delta Airlines, who has 20 years flying experience, was due to be one of three pilots in the cockpit of the Boeing 767, with 240 passengers on board, the court was told.
Full story: Drunk pilot didn’t know where he was meant to be flying his plane