EDINBURG- A pilot from Delta Air Lines (DL), Lawrence Russell, aged 63, has entered a guilty plea after being apprehended with open bottles of alcohol in his bags, indicating that he exceeded the permissible alcohol limit before being scheduled to pilot a passenger plane from Edinburgh (EDI) to New York (JFK).
In June of the previous year, airport security in Scotland stopped and searched Russell, leading to his admission of reporting for duty impaired by either alcohol or drugs. The search uncovered two bottles of Jägermeister in his luggage, one of which was half full, as reported by the BBC.
Delta Pilot Arrested in Edinburg
Russell, hailing from the US state of Georgia, where Delta has its base, was scheduled to pilot a Boeing 767 carrying passengers from Edinburgh to New York before his detention.
In a standard luggage check at approximately 8 am on June 16 at Edinburgh Airport, security personnel detected alcohol in Russell’s bag.
Dressed in his pilot uniform and visibly identified as a Delta Air Lines crew member, he was promptly interrogated by the police following the discovery of the alcohol.
The examination, followed by a breathalyzer test, uncovered a blood alcohol concentration well beyond the legal threshold for carrying out aviation responsibilities. Subsequently, Mr. Russell was arrested and held in custody at Edinburgh Sheriff Court after admitting to the charges.
Legal Case
According to information from the BBC, the court was informed that the alcohol level in the pilot’s blood sample measured “not less than 49mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood,” exceeding the legal limit of 20mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.
Fiscal depute Matthew Millar revealed that when Russell was cautioned and charged, he informed officers, “I’m terrified,” as reported by the BBC.
Pamela Rogers, the defense lawyer, submitted a medical report detailing the treatment Russell has undergone for his alcoholism, emphasizing that he is fully aware of the gravity of the offense.
Sheriff Alison Stirling has postponed the sentencing to later this month to allow for the preparation of reports.
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