LONDON — A United Airlines pilot from Colorado received a 10-month suspended jail sentence Friday for showing up to fly a jet on a transatlantic flight while over the alcohol limit.
Erwin Vermont Washington of Lakewood was removed from a plane at London’s Heathrow Airport shortly before it was due to take off for Chicago in November, after a colleague smelled alcohol on his breath.
A breath test indicated he was at triple Britain’s legal alcohol limit for pilots.
A blood test conducted soon after showed that Washington had a blood alcohol content of 0.05 percent. In Britain, the limit for pilots is 0.02 percent. The legal limit for driving a car is 0.08 percent. The 51-year-old pilot pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.
Defense lawyer Neil Fitzgibbon said Washington was sorry for his actions.
“He regrets it. His entire future career is on the line. That miscalculation is a penalty he must pay,” he said. Associated Press
