Pilot's Blood Alcohol Level Was Nearly Three Times The Legal Limit

It's just as basic as this, folks. It doesn't matter what you fly, booze and aircraft are a potentially deadly combination. That very fundamental rule was made painfully obvious when Jonathan Kurilla crashed his ultralight aircraft into Gull Lake near Brainerd, Minnesota. A post-crash test found Kurilla's blood alcohol level was .223, nearly three times the legal limit of .08. He now faces 8 criminal counts connected with the incident.

The Brainard Dispatch reports that Kurilla was flying the ultralight early in the evening when it crashed into the lake. His passenger, Estelle Paulson, was treated and released at a nearby hospital. Authorities were attempting to contact her to determine the true extent of her injuries. If they are more severe than originally reported, Kurilla could face additional charges.

The criminal report filed against Kurilla and re-printed in the paper says that officers asked Kurilla about the incident, and he said he owned and had been flying the ultralight at the time of the crash. Officers noticed a strong odor of alcohol, and asked Kurilla if he had been drinking. He indicated he had gotten an alcoholic beverage after crashing the plane, but that it was the only thing he'd had to drink all day.

Officers administered a field sobriety test, which led to a subsequent breathalyzer test and blood draw to test for alcohol. That is when they discovered the .223 blood alcohol level.

Kurilla has 6 prior DWI incidents on his driving record. We all know they teach us that "8 hours from bottle to throttle" lesson for a reason.

FMI: http://www.dps.state.mn.us/patrol/