Airtran Says He Failed Breathalyzer Test

To say that AirTran Captain Oliver Reason, Jr., had a bad week is probably an understatement. As ANN reported over the weekend, Reason was arrested at McCarron International in Las Vegas early Thursday morning and accused of trying to fly drunk. Now, Reason has been summarily dismissed from the airline.

Reason was headed for the cockpit of Flight 1780 scheduled to head for Atlanta when he was stopped by police officers and eventually given a breathalyzer test. Police say he blew a .09 (percent blood alcohol). In Nevada, the legal limit for driving a car is .08 and, of course, the FAA says no pilot should ever attempt to fly with a blood alcohol level of more than .04.

"The Las Vegas Police Department did escort the captain from the aircraft and performed a Breathalyzer test. It is our understanding the captain failed the Breathalyzer test," said Tad Hutcheson of AirTran Airways.

Flight 1780 was cancelled and the 64 passengers rerouted.

Reason, 37, an armed member of the FAA's Flight Deck Officer Program, was fired on Friday. The Washington Post reports the incident has led some on Capitol Hill to question the Flight Deck Officer Program. But as pilot Tracy Price put it, "The issue is making sure a pilot who is irresponsible with alcohol is never, ever given access to an airplane. Between the airplane and the gun, the airplane is many times more dangerous."

FMI: www.airtran.com