A drunk pilot caught with two bottles of Jagermeister as he attempted to take control of a transatlantic flight has been jailed for 10 months.
Captain Lawrence Russell, 63, was wearing his pilot’s uniform and Delta Airlines lanyard when he was stopped at Edinburgh Airport on June 16 last year.
His carry-on luggage was flagged following an X-ray after being selected for inspection as he went to board a Boeing 767 headed to New York’s JFK Airport.
Staff found an opened bottle of Jagermeister inside, along with another which was half-full, prompting concerns.
Russell, from Georgia in the US, was found to be two-and-a-half times the alcohol limit after a breath test at 9.30am.
He pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on March 6 to reporting for duty as a pilot while being impaired through alcohol, contrary to the legal limit of 20 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.
Russell was sentenced to 10 months at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday.
Lynne Barrie, Procurator Fiscal for Lothian and Borders, said: ‘Lawrence Russell’s conduct would have endangered many lives; the consequences could have been catastrophic.
‘He showed a reckless disregard for the safety of his passengers and crew. The pilot of a commercial aircraft holds the lives of hundreds in his hands. He would have put all of them at serious risk.
‘This conviction should send the message that crimes of this nature will be robustly dealt with.’
Defence agent Pamela Rodgers told the court her client was a recovering alcoholic who had not drunk alcohol for 277 days and had completed the 12 Steps to Recovery rehab programme.
Ms Rodgers said Russell was just the fourth pilot to be prosecuted in Scotland for attempting to fly while under the influence of alcohol and he is ‘remorseful’ for his actions.
The lawyer added the pilot is a father of two sons with one due to be married later this year and he helps care for his elderly mother.
Following the pilot’s arrest, the flight to New York was cancelled and Delta Airlines confirmed all the passengers were then helped with their travel plans.
A Delta Airlines spokesperson said: ‘While Delta does not comment on on-going legal cases, Delta’s alcohol policy is among the strictest in the industry and we have no tolerance for violation.’
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