Video Shows Southwest Pilot Pulled Off Plane, Taking Sobriety Test Before Dui Arrest

A Southwest Airlines pilot, pulled retired of a cockpit and arrested connected allegations that he tried to alert while impaired, blamed nicotine pouches erstwhile constabulary told him he smelled of alcohol, according to rule enforcement video released connected Thursday.

David Allsop was minutes distant from going wheels up astatine nan helm of Flight 3772 retired of Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, bound for Chicago Midway, erstwhile airdrome constabulary confronted him connected nan pitchy span astatine Gate 2 at astir 6 a.m. connected Jan. 15, according to a Chatham County Police Department report.

David Allsop.Chatham County Police Dept.

When asked if he'd been drinking recently, Allsop said "10 hours ago" he had had "a fewer beers," constabulary assemblage camera footage showed.

"Define a fewer beers?" serviceman Josiah Best asked.

"A fewer beers," nan aviator responded.

“Define a fewer beers?” Best repeated.

"Like three," nan aviator said. "Light beer, Miller Lite."

Best asked Allsop, who has turned 53 since this incident, if he'd consent to section sobriety tests and nan aviator refused, saying "there's nary need."

"I tin smell an odor accordant pinch an alcoholic beverage," Best responded.

That's erstwhile Allsop took a nicotine pouch retired of his mouth, dropped it, picked it up and showed it to Best and his partner, according to footage and a written report.

"Additionally, I observed that Mr. Allsop had bloodshot, watery eyes and a flushed complexion," Best noted successful his report.

Allsop yet consented to section sobriety tests and he struggled to travel nan extremity of a moving pen and to guidelines connected 1 leg, constabulary said.

"It is noteworthy that Mr. Allsop grounded to travel nan extremity of my pen pinch his eyes arsenic instructed; alternatively he moved his caput and cervix during nan test," according to Best. "Mr. Allsop swayed while holding his limb astatine a 45-degree angle."

Allsop was arrested connected a complaint of DUI.

He "was removed from work instantly aft nan alleged incident and is nary longer employed by Southwest Airlines," nan hose said successful a connection connected Friday.

David Chaiken, Allsop's defense lawyer, insisted that nan video footage shows nary grounds of his customer being impaired.

"The precocious released bodycam video confirms what should beryllium evident to anyone who watches it — Captain Allsop committed nary crime," Chaiken said successful a connection connected Friday.

"Experts who person reviewed nan video person concluded that nan tests that led to his apprehension were not performed correctly and that nan due procedures were not followed."